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**KKR Captain Rahane Blames Batting Woes for Disappointing IPL Finish**

Kolkata: Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) finished a disappointing eighth in the IPL this season, and captain Ajinkya Rahane attributes the poor showing to the underperformance of key batsmen like Rinku Singh and Andre Russell. Following a crushing 110-run defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Rahane stated that while the bowling unit performed adequately, the batting lineup’s struggles ultimately derailed their campaign.

“Where we faltered was at the batting end,” Rahane admitted during the post-match press conference. He highlighted that several experienced players, including Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, and Ramandeep Singh, failed to replicate their title-winning form from the previous season.

Rahane acknowledged that the pressure of expectations may have played a role in the batsmen’s struggles, leading them to put undue pressure on themselves. However, he expressed confidence that these players would learn from their mistakes and return stronger next year.

Despite Venkatesh Iyer’s hefty price tag of Rs 23.75 crore, Rahane defended the player, stating that the price tag did not impact the player’s performance and that he was focused on controllable things.

Rahane did commend the bowling unit, singling out Harshit Rana, Chakravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, and Sunil Narine for their consistent performances throughout the season.

KKR’s season was marred by several setbacks, including a shocking loss to Punjab Kings while chasing a low total and a narrow defeat to Lucknow Super Giants. Ultimately, they finished with five wins out of 14 matches. Rahane hopes the team will learn from this season and come back stronger next year.

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