Aaron Finch rushed to Ajinkya Rahane’s defence, urging the Kolkata Knight Riders captain to avoid reacting to critics. Rahane is currently facing a lot of criticism as KKR skipper. In IPL 2026, KKR have gotten off to a terrible start, losing their opening two games. Then, in their third fixture, they earned a point against Punjab Kings, courtesy of rain. The KKR batting order has failed to take on opposition bowlers, and Rahane is also being criticised for opening the innings with Finn Allen.
To make matters worse, there has also been controversy around Cameron Green. The Aussie all-rounder hasn’t bowled this season due to his recovery from an injury, as instructed by Cricket Australia. He has batted at No. 3 and 4, but has failed to perform.
After their defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rahane didn’t hold back, responding to critics and questions about his strike rate. He accused his critics of having a certain agenda against him.
“My strike rate… I have the best strike rate so far, from 2023. People who are talking are probably not watching the game or have a certain agenda against me,” Rahane said.
“They don’t like me playing. They don’t like to watch me play. The amount of success I’ve got, I guess they’re jealous about that.”
Aaron Finch defends Ajinkya Rahane
Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, Finch, a former teammate of Rahane, said, “Stop biting everybody that’s coming at you. You are a very, very good player. You have a talented team. Continue to be really aggressive at the top of the order.”
“T20 is a hard game. There’s going to be ups and downs. You got 220 in the first game as a team and lost out in the second game as well, so back to the wall, be aggressive,” he added.
Rahane and KKR got their first point of the season on Monday. Rain came to their rescue after Finn Allen (6) and Cameron Green’s (4) early dismissals in the second over. The hosts reached 25/2 in 3.4 overs, and rain stopped play. Finally, due to a wet outfield, the match was abandoned.
Rahane is factually wrong when it comes to talking about his strike rate. Since IPL 2023, he is 88th on the strike rate list. During this period, he has played 42 matches, averaging at 29.51 and has a strike rate of 147.78. In the list for players who have faced at least 50 balls, he is 64th, and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi leads the pack with a strike rate of 218.70.
KKR are now eighth in the standings after three matches. They need to get their campaign back on track, and the rain against Punjab came as a blessing, helping them get their first point of the season.
