Ajinkya Rahane scored only 8 runs from 10 balls during KKR vs SRH match in IPL. (OR) Ajinkya Rahane is not explosive behind the mic. That changed a bit on Thursday after the Kolkata Knight Riders captain addressed the media after their 65-run loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad in the ongoing IPL 2026.He was asked about his opening partnership with Finn Allen and the anchor-aggressor role between them. Next, the “external noise” around his strike rate, especially against spin, was examined.
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Ajinkya Rahane press conference: KKR skipper backs bowlers, hits back at SR criticsRahane, who scored just 8 off 10 balls, did not hold on as KKR suffered their second consecutive defeat of the season.“I think I have one of the best strikes so far since 2023,” he said. “People who talk about me (are) probably not watching the game or have some agenda against me. They don’t like me playing. They don’t like watching me play.”“The amount of success I’ve had, I think they’re jealous of me. I’m not too worried. You know what I do. Just one bad inning…it’s not a bad inning, but my intent was there. Sometimes as a hitter, you don’t get that rhythm, you don’t get that flow. People who talk either don’t understand the game (or) I think they want to play a different game.“They didn’t expect Ajinkya Rahane to basically prove his game that much. So I’m happy that they’re talking about me, whether it’s negative or positive, either way. I’m really happy that they’re talking. Let them talk.”
KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane played his 200th IPL match against SRH. (OR)
In the match against SRH, Rahane scored just eight runs in nine balls before Jaydev Unadkat bowled over a slower delivery. During his short stay, he struggled to find gaps as he faced the spin of Harsh Dubey and Abhishek Sharma in the power-plays. The trick seemed to be to keep the seamers away from Rahane – against whom the right-hander does better.Does Ajinkya Rahane have a strong strike rate from IPL 2023?MatchesInningsRunsAverageStrike Rate4s6s4237103329.51147.488648Rahane’s claim of holding “one of the best ever strike rates since 2023” doesn’t hold up.Overall, he is 88th in the strike-rate list since IPL 2023. He has played 42 matches during this period, scoring 1033 runs, an average of 29.51 and a strike-rate of 147.78.Go deeper and based on players who have faced at least 50 balls, he is 64th on the IPL batting list, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi topping the charts with a strike rate of 218.70.If you look at those with longer stays in the middle, 250 balls or more, Rahane is 44th on the list. Abhishek Sharma leads this list with a strike rate of 185.23.Among the top four batsmen who have played at least 250 balls, Rahane has 28. Nicholas Pooran tops this list with a strike rate of 191.60.Looking at Rahane’s numbers in the power bowl looks better for him. In the last three seasons, his powerplay percentage is 168.80.Batsmen with the best strike rates since IPL 2023 (at least 300 balls faced)PlayerInnsRunsBalls FacedStrike RateAvgTravis Head29720383187.9848Abhishek Sharma39761431176.5634.59Phil Salt33730420173.8036.50Ajinky569aYvi73. Jaiswal441029617166.7754.15Among players who have faced at least 300 balls since IPL 2023, his strike rate (167.78) during the overs was the fourth best. Travis Head (187.98) leads that list.Among Indians, only Abhishek Sharma (176.56) has a better strike rate in this period.Against the new-ball pacers (effectively power bowlers), Rahane’s strike rate is 170.79, but the challenge, as proved against SRH, is the new-ball spinners, where his strike rate drops to 140.54. The bigger problem, however, lies in power play after power play. His strike rate dropped to 127.27 and 115.58 during the two middle periods. Total is 129.30.Against spin in the middle overs (7-15 overs), his strike rate further falls to 114.02.KKR now have back-to-back home games over the next week, against Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants on April 6 and April 9 respectively, where they will be hoping to get their first win of the season.
