Ajinkya Rahane lashes out at critics over strike-rate talk amid KKR’s loss to SRH ‘They don’t like to watch me play’

The 37-year-old started the season by making 67 off 40 balls against the Mumbai Indians on Sunday while opening with New Zealand’s Finn Allen. However, it was a knock of two halves, where Rahane made 36 runs in 18 balls in the powerplay, but tapered off after that, ultimately taking 22 deliveries to make his remaining 31 runs, which many critics have pointed out had slowed KKR’s momentum.

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“People who are talking, either they don’t understand the game, and I think they want me to, you know, play a different kind of innings. They didn’t expect that Ajinkya Rahane will basically improve his game this much. I am happy they are talking about me, negative or positive. Let them talk,” Rahane said.

“It’s been amazing with Finn Allen. We had a very good partnership in Mumbai. For the first 6 overs, we always look to play fearless cricket with freedom. At times, you will struggle, but that’s ok. It’s important to accept, but I know what I am doing, what I did in the past, and I back myself rather than thinking about whoever is talking about me. Let them talk”, he added.

On Thursday against SRH, Rahane opened again but couldn’t make much of an impact in the powerplay, departing for just 8 runs off 10 deliveries as the Knights failed to overhaul the steep score of 226 runs at the Eden Gardens.

After the defeat against Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2026 opener, Rahane was asked about the murmurs hovering over his future as a player. The right-hander had said that many people had been talking about him over the last two decades and he did not intend to show anyone how talented he was.