'The wicket was very good, it's a collective failure of the batting unit' - Ajinkya Rahane on KKR's demoralising defeat vs PBKS

Mullanpur witnessed a thrilling low-scoring affair on Tuesday, April 15, as Punjab Kings (PBKS) defended a 112-run target against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The Shreyas Iyer-led side defeated Ajinkya Rahane and Co. by 16 runs.

KKR had raced to 62/2 in the eighth over. However, Yuzvendra Chahal showed his class, as his four-for derailed KKR's run-chase. The Kolkata-based franchise was bowled out for 95 in 15.1 overs. Apart from Chahal, Marco Jansen bowled a fantastic spell and finished with figures of 3/17 in 3.1 overs.

After the gut-wrenching defeat, Rahane didn't blame the surface as he said it was very good. However, he noted that some balls were coming a little late. However, he applauded the bowlers for rolling PBKS over for just 111. The right-handed batter described the loss as a collective failure of the batting department.

"The wicket was good. It was not an unplayable wicket or that something was wrong," said Rahane at the post-match press conference.

Also Read: 'Best win I've ever had as coach in IPL' - Ricky Ponting lauds PBKS after scripting history by defending 111 vs KKR

"The wicket was very good. The ball was coming a little late. But the bowlers did half of the work. Like you said, they were all out at 111. It was comparatively easy to chase at 112 on this wicket. We also got a good start. We got 50 in the Powerplay, and at 70, I think we had 3 wickets. But again, it's a collective failure of the batting unit," he added. 

Many times, it's not only about hitting sixes or playing big shots: Rahane

KKR always had the required run rate under control. When Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Rahane added a 55-run partnership for the third wicket, the Knights needed 50 runs off 75 balls for a win. However, a dramatic collapse meant that they had to return home empty-handed.

"Many times, it's not only about hitting sixes or playing big shots. Strike rotation is also very important. And I am sure that didn't happen with our batting unit. It's not like Punjab bowled extremely well. I think we played bad cricket as a batting unit. I take this responsibility as a captain, as we couldn't chase this down. But individually, I am sure all the players, especially the batters, will think about their own game and improve in the upcoming matches," Rahane said.

"Half of the tournament is over. Seven matches have been played. And half is still left. It's always about coming back with good intent, but still look to learn and improve as a batter and take it on in the next game," he added.