KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane expressed his frustration as LSG managed to obtain a four-run victory at the Eden Gardens and it served as the team’s second domestic defeat for the season. His frustration with the surface led Rahane to address the inadequate support for spin bowling since he believed this fundamental element influenced the match results. The playing conditions failed to reward the main highlight of the evening which was expected to be spin bowling. On the topic of home advantage Rahane spoke carefully before acknowledging “There was no help for spinners… saying more would create a bawal.”
Rahane Reflects On LSG’s Tactical Brilliance And KKR’s Missed Bowling Opportunities
LSG set an impressive target of 238/3 and successfully restricted KKR to 234/7. Rahane’s choice to bowl first appeared to misfire, as LSG’s batters cleverly exploited KKR’s strategies, piling up runs on the longer side of the field.
“They used the boundary really well, you know, bowling to the longer end, I mean longer boundary, they did that really well, our bowlers tried as well, but again, (Nicholas) Pooran and Mitchell Marsh batted really well in between, they took their chances which came off really well for them.
“It was a lovely wicket, we all saw that, scoring almost 500 runs on this track, hard for the bowlers, but again, they used the conditions and used the boundary really well.”
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Rahane Hints At Frustration Over Pitch Conditions Amid Questions On Lost Home Advantage
The LSG spin duo, Digvesh Rathi and Ravi Bishnoi, conceded 80 runs across their eight overs but managed to claim two vital wickets. In contrast, KKR’s spinners, Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, remained wicketless while leaking over nine runs per over. Notably, Narine didn’t even complete his full quota of four overs.
This prompted the inevitable question: does ‘home advantage’ even exist in the IPL anymore? “See, there’s been enough talk about the wicket. Aap logon ne bahut usko yeh kar diya hai. Toh agar main abhi kuch bolunga na, toh bawal ho jayega. (You people have already hyped it up a lot. So if I say anything now, it will create a big controversy),” Rahane said with a wry smile.
The interview led him to express indirect criticism of Sujan Mukherjee although the curator had previously stated his refusal to give in to home team requests.
Rahane Takes Subtle Dig At Curator Amid Growing Concerns Over Fading Home Advantage In IPL
“Jo hamare curator hai, unko bahut publicity mila. I think he’s happy with that publicity. Home advantage ke baare mein aapko jo likhna hai, aap likh sakto, jo laga. (Our curator has got a lot of publicity. I think he’s happy with that publicity. You can write whatever you feel like about the home advantage).”
“If I have any concern, I would probably convey it to the IPL rather than speaking about it here.”
This season, multiple franchises, including LSG, KKR, and CSK, have expressed frustration over the lack of a traditional ‘home’ advantage, citing unfavorable pitch conditions.
