"When you're losing, you can risk overthinking"

Rajasthan Royals skipper Ajinkya Rahane upbeat despite four IPL-12 losses

Rajasthan Royals skipper Ajinkya Rahane (centre) with Shreyas Gopal (left) and Steven Smith during their match against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Sunday. Pic/AFP

Rajasthan Royals might have lost four out of five matches in the ongoing IPL but captain Ajinkya Rahane feels there is no need to hit the panic button just yet. After restricting Rajasthan Royals to 139-3, Kolkata Knight Riders' Sunil Narine (47) and Chris Lynn (50) tore their bowling attack to shreds, sharing 91 runs for the opening stand in 8.3 overs to reach the target with 6.1 overs to spare.

"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," Rahane said at the post-match press conference on Sunday.

ADVERTISEMENT

"When you're losing, you can risk overthinking. But when you're winning, you don't dwell on things that much. It's not too late for us. If we can improve and apply ourselves, the desired results will surely follow," he added.

Rahane said that the batsmen need to stay longer at the crease and take calculated risks, while bowlers are expected to quickly get the hang of the wicket and execute the plans accordingly.

"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. The set batsmen need to stay at 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," he explained.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!