Ajinkya Rahane's dismissal proved crucial as Rajasthan never really got back the momentum.
Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Ajinkya Rahane admitted that his batters lacked 'game awareness' in their defeat to Punjab Kings.
'5 months. 2 countries. 8 cities later, back to spending some quality time with my favourites, in my favourite city.'
The Rahane-led side outclassed the depending champions Mumbai Indians by seven wickets on Sunday, courtesy a whirlwind unbeaten 94 by opener Jos Buttler who stuck his fifth consecutive fifty in the tournament.
'Rahane hasn't lost the game as captain, he was really brave yesterday to give India a little sniff. I thought the runs were always too much for them, but he gave them a sniff.'
Ajinkya Rahane will not be bogged down by the pressure of captaincy if he leads India in the last three Tests against Australia in Virat Kohli's absence, said batting great Sunil Gavaskar.
Rahane returns to lead Royals for the game against Delhi Capitals on Saturday after Smith replaced him as captain in the middle of the season following the team's disappointing run which saw them lose six out of their first eight games.
It was a track where batters made merry after LSG put on 238 for 3 before KKR fell just four runs short as over 400 runs were scored.
Rahane mentioned how Kuldeep Yadav maintained his composure despite not getting any chances in the playing XI.
'Though I would like to see him in the playing XI, Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma will open the batting for the team.'
Sachin Tendulkar has extended his greetings to new captain Ajinkya Rahane, hoping the youngster will do a good job during the upcoming Zimbabwe tour.
South Africa's Aiden Markram created a new world record for the most catches by a fielder in a Test match, during the second Test against India in Guwahati on Wednesday.
India's injury woes continued as batting mainstay Ajinkya Rahane was ruled out of the remaining two Tests against England due to injury. He will be replaced by Karnataka batsman Manish Pandey. Apparently, Rahane sustained a finger injury on his right index finger during India's training session at the Wankhede stadium on Wednesday.
Delhi Capitals's new recruit Ajinkya Rahane looked sharp and timed the ball quite well during Delhi's nets session in Dubai on Wednesday.
Mumbai were steady at 113 for two at one stage but Rekhade, playing only his second First-Class match, ripped open the Ranji champions' batting line-up, first with an innocuous delivery which claimed the prized scalp of Ajinkya Rahane in the 41st over.
Images from Day 4 in the second Test between England and India, at Lord's, on Sunday.
The cricketing world hailed India after their dominant 96-run win over New Zealand in the T20 World Cup final, with legends praising the team's power-packed batting and Jasprit Bumrah's brilliance.
With a power-packed batting line-up, match-winning spinners and a solid pace attack, champions KKR are once again the team to beat.
Bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur will also be aiming to continue his dream run for Mumbai so far.
Former India captain Bishan Singh Bedi praised vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane for his attacking unbeaten half-century which helped the visitors make a strong reply with the bat during Day 2 of the second Test against Australia.
Smith, who is back in action after serving a one-year ban for his role in the ball-tampering scandal, has been made the leader of the team once again. The announcement was made ahead of Royals' clash against Mumbai Indians in Jaipur.
Despite being locked in their hotel rooms, the Indian players are keen not to let their guard down as they prepare for the Test series against England.
Ajinkya Rahane, Sachin Tendulkar and Suryakumar Yadav stepped out to cast their votes on Monday.
Magnificent fifties by openers Virat Kohli and Phil Salt guided RCB to a comfortable seven-wicket win over defending champions KKR.
Shardul Thakur bowled 8 full tosses, conceded 9 runs and took 2 wickets. It's early days and Thakur's season has seen him enjoy mixed fortunes, His figures of 2 for 52 were lucky breakthroughs but he is a great wicket-taking option.
He also highlighted the team's focus on playing good cricket and improving in areas like fielding.
'I have always played wherever the team wanted me to play. Team thinking has always come first.'
Shreyas Iyer had led KKR to their first IPL title in a decade last year. However, on Saturday, he returns as captain of a rejuvenated Punjab Kings chasing a play-off spot.
Kumble felt that Green would be most effective at the top of the order rather than in a finisher's role.
The unexpected 10-day break has left both the RCB and the KKR with different goals to achieve and common challenges to hurdle over.
After his sterling show in Australia, Rahane hasn't had the best outing with the bat this series with mostly single digit scores apart from one half-century in the second Test in Chennai.
Ajinkya Rahane is back among the runs with 532 runs in five Ranji Trophy matches for Mumbai this season, with a top score of 204 and an average of 76.
Chants of 'aala re aala Ajinkya aala' headlined a red carpet welcome for Ajinkya Rahane
India opted to bring in Rajat Patidar as Kohli's replacement.
Rahane stands at crossroads in his comeback Test
Ajinkya Rahane's place in the India Test squad has come into question following a string of low scores in England but batting coach Vikram Rathour said they are not overly worried about the vice captain's form slump.
Rajneesh Gupta has some interesting numbers from the fourth day's play in the final Test between India and South Africa at Ferozshah Kotla in New Delhi.
Ajinkya Rahane's assured approach in the middle has been the hallmark of his comeback and the Indian team will need him to maintain form when it tours South Africa later this year.
After dismissing KKR Skipper Ajinkya Rahane, he came up with the move popularised by Telugu star Allu Arjun in the blockbuster movie Pushpa.
Sanju Samson's century, Punjab Kings' record 265 chase, Rinku Singh's Super Over heroics and standout knocks from KL Rahul, Abhishek Sharma and Virat Kohli headline an action-packed Week 4 of IPL 2026.
