Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), after a couple of difficult results in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, outmuscled Sunrisers Hyderabad, one of the most fearsome sides in the competition. KKR’s 80-run victory speaks volumes of the ability they have, especially under the leadership of skipper Ajinkya Rahane, whose appointment as the team’s captain had raised many eyebrows. Seeing Rahane rally his troops in the most effective manner possible, former KKR skipper Eoin Morgan admitted being floored.

“KKR absolutely blew SRH away, and for me, that’s a great sign of character. When you suffer a heavy defeat, especially away from home, bouncing back is never easy. Varun Chakravarthy summed it up well (in his comments in the presentation ceremony): there was no blame game, just belief in their ability… Ajinkya Rahane’s captaincy stood out. He managed his bowling options smartly- holding back Andre Russell, not using Moeen Ali or Venkatesh Iyer, and going straight for the kill. That’s exactly the kind of approach you expect from a team that had its back against the wall,” Morgan said on JioStar.

After the early departures of openers Quinton de Kock and Sunil Narine, Rahane held the fort while Angkrish Raghuvanshi went after the bowlers. It was the foundation that the two set which gave KKR a heft total of 200 runs on the board.

Morgan, however, was also impressed by the bowling changes that Rahane managed to produce in the game.

“Rahane was excellent. The ability to remove emotions from on-field decisions is a sign of a great leader, and Rahane did just that tonight. As a captain, you look for ways to press your advantage, and after taking early wickets, he did exactly that. Rahane’s bowling changes were spot on and played a key role in shaping the outcome of the game.”