Despite losing four of their last five fixtures, Rajasthan captain Ajinkya Rahane has said that there is no need to panic as of now.
Rahane’s team was on the losing side yet again on Sunday as Kolkata emerged victorious by eight wickets with relative ease. Put into bat first, Rajasthan – winners of the inaugural season of the Indian T20 League – could only post 139/3 in 20 overs with Steve Smith scoring a 59-ball 73.
For Kolkata, it turned out to be an easy route and they chased the target under 14 overs and with eight wickets still intact. The likes of Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine gave Kolkata a strong start by playing a 91-run stand - their highest partnership of the season – in just 8.3 overs.
Speaking after the game, Rajasthan skipper Ajinka Rahane admitted that his players need to take more risk and that there is no reason to panic because despite of the loses, his team is performing well enough.
"When you're losing, you can risk overthinking. But when you're winning, you don't dwell on things that much," the Royals skipper said after his side's 8-wicket loss to KKR.
"I think there's no need for us to panic yet. Out of the five matches that we played, we lost badly in just one game. We played well in our last four matches, out of which we could have won three.
"Execution is the key for us as a batting and bowling unit. Risk is an integral part of the T20 format and players need to often back themselves. It's not the responsibility of an individual, but rather the whole team. We win as a team, we lose as a team. We need to improve as a team.
"The set batsmen need to stay on the crease longer and take the game deeper, while also taking calculated risks. Similarly, the bowlers need to execute their plans based on the understanding of the wicket, and by observing the difficulties that the batsmen are facing with regards to playing any shots. Overall, the team needs to improve. An individual cannot be blamed for losses.
"It was important for us to post 150-160 on board, which we felt would be a challenging total on that wicket. We struggled to get to 140, which is possibly a learning for the bowling unit. While playing at home, we need to adjust to the wicket as soon as possible, while also being aware of the correct line and length that is to be bowled. It's not too late for us. If we can improve and apply ourselves, the desired results will surely follow. "
