He was roped in by the defending champions at the recent IPL 2025 auction in Jeddah for INR 1.5 crores
A veteran Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) star is showing that he is still capable of delivering the goods ahead of the new Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) edition.
Ajinkya Rahane, who was roped in by the defending champions at the recent IPL 2025 auction in Jeddah for INR 1.5 crores, slammed his second consecutive fifty in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT).
Rahane registered a quickfire knock of 68(35) against Kerala after previously playing a deft innings of 52 (34) against Maharashtra.
Rahane’s current form will definitely give him a major boost as he gears up for IPL 2025. There are also rumours of the 36-year-old taking over the captaincy reins for the franchise and his current performance will further back his cause.
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Ajinkya Rahane plays lone warrior for Mumbai against Kerala
Speaking about the match, Kerala posted a towering total of 234 for 5 in their 20 overs. However, the young Mumbai pair of Prithvi Shaw and Angkrish Raghuvanshi could not get their team off to a strong start, perishing for 23 and 16 respectively.
It was then the experienced duo of former KKR captain Shreyas Iyer and expected new KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane who stood the ground in the middle. Shreyas scored 32 off 18 balls with two fours and as many sixes and added 42 runs with Rahane.
After Abdul Basith broke the partnership with the wicket of Iyer, the Mumbai innings collapsed. Ajinkya then played the role of a lone warrior, scoring 68 off 35 balls, comprising five boundaries and four maximums.
In the end, it wasn’t enough and Rahane’s efforts went in vain as Mumbai could manage 191 for 9 in 20 overs and conceded the contest by a 43-run margin.
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