"Makes No Sense": Ajinkya Rahane Under Fire Over Baffling Captaincy, 'Jealousy' Jibe
KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane faced criticism for choosing to bat first on a rain-affected pitch despite knowing conditions favoured bowling.
- KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane chose to bat first on a rain-affected pitch despite expecting more rain
- Aaron Finch criticised Rahane's decision to bat first, saying it "made no sense"
- Finch also criticised Rahane's comment that critics were "jealous" of him
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Ajinkya Rahane is currently facing a difficult period. Although he appears to be in fine form with the bat, his team has struggled to produce a unified performance. With only one point to their name, earned due to a rain-affected match at Eden Gardens, KKR find themselves in a precarious position. With the team's performances already under scrutiny, Rahane made the baffling decision to bat first on Monday, despite knowing the pitch had been under cover and that more rain was expected. In fact, his counterpart, Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer, admitted that he would have preferred to field first under those circumstances.
Former Australia captain Aaron Finch found Rahane's decision-making inexplicable, stating it made "no sense." Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, Finch remarked:
"The one thing you can do is control the controllables. Winning the toss and electing to bat after the wicket has been under cover for a day, when you know there is rain in the air, makes absolutely no sense. How do you arrive at that decision? That is an alarm bell for me. It isn't just about being two wickets down for 25 runs; they shouldn't have been batting at all."
Finch suggested that such errors occur when a leader's focus is compromised.
"When you make the wrong decision despite having all the information, it's similar to a player being out of form. You can tell when someone's mind is a little scrambled. To me, this is a classic case of either overthinking or completely ignoring the facts."
Finch also addressed Rahane's recent comments regarding critics who questioned his powerplay approach. The veteran batter had suggested that those pointing fingers were "jealous," a choice of words Finch found disappointing for a captain in a press conference.
"Stop biting back at everyone who criticises you," Finch advised. "You are a very good player, and you have a talented team. Continue to be aggressive at the top of the order. T20 is a hard game with many ups and downs. You scored 220 in the first game but lost the second; with your backs against the wall, the only way forward is to stay aggressive."
Kolkata Knight Riders
Punjab Kings
Ajinkya Rahane
Aaron Finch