Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Ajinkya Rahane made a stunning impact in the IPL 2025 season opener, smashing a cracking half-century in just 25 balls against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on Saturday. Leading KKR for the first time, Rahane showcased his aggressive intent, taking on the RCB bowlers from the very start.
Despite an early setback with Quinton de Kock’s quick dismissal for just four runs, Rahane took charge of the innings with an aggressive batting display. The 36-year-old looked in imperious touch, scoring boundaries with precision and maintaining a remarkable 94% boundary rate in his innings.
Rahane brought up his fifty with a powerful slog-sweep off Suyash Sharma in the ninth over, marking his third-fastest IPL half-century. His fearless approach gave KKR the perfect foundation, but his innings ended at 56 off 31 balls when he mistimed a shot against Krunal Pandya, leading to an easy catch by Rasik Salam Dar at deep backward square leg.
Following Rahane’s dismissal, Sunil Narine stepped up with a counter-attacking 44 off 26 balls. Initially struggling against Josh Hazlewood and Yash Dayal, Narine soon found his rhythm, punishing the RCB bowlers with aggressive stroke play. However, his innings was cut short when he edged a delivery to Jitesh Sharma off Rasik Salam’s bowling.
After losing Rahane and Narine in quick succession, KKR made a surprising move by sending Angkrish Raghuvanshi at No. 5 instead of the explosive Rinku Singh. The decision left many puzzled, as Singh’s ability to continue the momentum could have been crucial at that stage. With the finishers yet to take over, the pressure is now on the middle order to keep the scoreboard ticking.
With Rahane’s explosive knock setting the stage, KKR has started their IPL 2025 campaign on a strong note. His captaincy debut with an aggressive and fearless approach has already made a mark, and fans will be eager to see how he leads the team throughout the tournament.
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