Kolkata were chasing 239 — a near-impossible task on most days — but took the match to the final ball. At no point did Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) look out of contention, and Rahane, who led from the front with a classy 61, made sure the fight never faded.
"A really tight one. As I said at the toss, the wicket would remain very good. No complaints, in the end, we fought hard but just four runs short,” said Rahane after the match. "See, when you're chasing 230-plus, you are bound to lose wickets, that's completely normal. The intent and how everyone played was amazing."
Rahane highlighted the team's mindset, praising the aggression and belief shown by the batters throughout the innings. The Powerplay yielded 90 runs — their best of the season — and the tempo never dropped despite the required rate climbing. "If batters took a little bit of time, it was a great wicket to bat on," he said.+
