Important to stay focussed, says Knight Riders skipper Ajinkya Rahane

Rahane says IPL demands you stay in the moment and give your best every day

Hyderabad: Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane stressed the importance of staying focused on their own game rather than depending on other teams’ performances in the business end of the IPL.

“As a team, we’re keeping things simple and focusing on one game at a time. The IPL demands you stay in the moment and give your best every day. Every match from here is a must-win for us, and right now, our complete focus is on the game against Rajasthan. We’ll take it step by step from there,” Rahane said during the Star Sports Press Room interaction on Friday.

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“It’s simple, we need to win all four of our remaining games. We’re not thinking about what other teams are doing or how the points table looks. We’ve been in this situation before, so the focus is only on what we can control,” the KKR captain said.

“If we give our best in every match, qualification will take care of itself. Our first goal is to reach the playoffs. The way we played against Delhi as a unit, that’s the kind of performance we want to carry forward. We’re not concerned with who’s winning or losing elsewhere, we’re staying in our lane,” he said.

“The next two games at home — against RR and CSK — are crucial. Even though they’re out of the playoff race, they’re still dangerous because they’ve got nothing to lose,” Rahane said. “Teams like that often play with freedom, so it’s important for us to show up with the right mindset and attitude, focus on that day, and give it everything to win,” he said.

“What matters now is learning, staying confident about what we’ve done well, and focusing on minimising mistakes in the next four games. We need to play to our strengths and give it everything to win each of them,” Rahane said.

“I’ve had quite a few conversations with KKR owner Shah Rukh Khan. He’s been incredibly supportive and really understands the game — the players’ mindset, the ups and downs. What stood out to me was how grounded and humble he is, despite being a superstar. He treats every player equally and backs everyone like a father figure. That kind of support from an owner means a lot,” the KKR captain concluded.