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Rahane on 'Tough' Loss and Mukul's 'Defining' Knock

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Ajinkya Rahane expressed disappointment after his side's narrow three-wicket defeat to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) but "credited" Mukul Choudhary for his match-winning knock in the IPL 2026 clash at Eden Gardens. "Tough one to take. Really proud of the boys, the way we played. Mukul's knock was defining. The way he played his shots...in games like this, you do not want to pinpoint too many things. Execution here and there can happen, but credit to Mukul and that partnership," Rahane said during the post-match presentation.

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The KKR captain acknowledged that LSG batters capitalised on their chances, especially in the death overs. "Those deliveries did work. They had nothing to lose. It was about swinging every ball. There were brilliant shots. The way he batted was amazing," he added.

KKR Skipper Backs Bowlers, Explains Tactics

Rahane also backed his bowling unit despite the loss, stating, "Thought our bowlers did their job. When you lose a game, you think about how you could have done better. 180-185 was a very good total on this wicket."

Speaking about the final over tactics, Rahane explained, "We wanted to keep him on strike, but we had to keep five inside. It is tough for the bowlers bowling the last over with five up."

Match Summary: LSG Clinch Last-Ball Thriller

Lucknow Super Giants edged past Kolkata Knight Riders by three wickets in a last-ball thriller at Eden Gardens, successfully chasing 182 in IPL 2026. Fine half-centuries from Ayush Badoni (54) and Mukul Choudhary (54*) and Choudhary's explosive finishing helped LSG to chase 182 runs in the final overs.

Earlier, KKR posted 181/4 riding on contributions from Ajinkya Rahane (41), Angkrish Raghuvanshi (45), and a late push by Rovman Powell and Cameron Green. (ANI)