One of the best wickets to bat on, says Ajinkya Rahane on Eden Gardens pitch after high-scoring encounter

Kolkata Knight Riders’ captain Ajinkya Rahane plays a shot during the match against Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League 2025, at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Following the loss against Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Ajinkya Rahane shared his thoughts on the Eden Gardens pitch where almost 480 runs were scored during the 21st encounter of this season.

LSG outsmarted KKR by four runs in the last-over thriller at the Eden Gardens on Tuesday (April 8, 2025). Batting first, Lucknow Super Giants slammed 238 runs with the magnificent half-centuries from Nicholas Pooran (87*) and Mitchell Marsh (81).

The Kolkata Knight Riders were able to score 234 runs with the help of knocks from Ajinkya Rahane (61), Venkatesh Iyer (45), Rinku Singh (38*), and Sunil Narine (30)With this victory, the Super Giants team jumped to the fourth spot (six points) whereas Knight Riders slipped to the sixth spot (four points) in the IPL 2025 points table.

“A really tight one (game). As I said at the toss, the wicket remained good throughout the 40 overs. We gave our best, it was a great game, in the end we were just 4 runs short. When you are chasing 230-plus, you will lose wickets in the chase. This was one of the best wickets to bat on. Batters had to take a little time to get in. The bowling attack we have, we control our middle-overs really well. Sunil (Narine) was struggling with the ball. Sunil and Varun usually dominate the middle overs, but it was tough for the bowlers today,” Ajinkya Rahane said in the post-match presentation.

Ajinkya Rahane completed 7,000 T20 runs. The veteran achieved this milestone during his side’s Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

During the match, Rahane made 61 in 35 balls, with eight fours and two sixes. His runs have come at a strike rate of over 174.29. In 276 international matches, Rahane has made 7,036 runs at an average of 29.81 and a strike rate of just over 124, with two centuries and 50 fifties. His best score is 105*.

During the ongoing season, Rahane has made 184 runs at an average of 36.80, with a strike rate of over 160, with two half-centuries. His best score is 61 and he is the fifth-highest run-getter this season.The top run-getter in T20s is West Indies legend Chris Gayle, who has made 14,562 runs at an average of 36.22 and a strike rate of 144.75, with 22 centuries and 88 fifties. His best score is 175*.