Manoj Tiwary questions Ajinkya Rahane’s captaincy during KKR vs CSK IPL 2025 match

Former Indian batter Manoj Tiwary slammed Ajinkya Rahane’s captaincy after Kolkata Knight Riders suffered a two-wicket loss against Chennai Super Kings at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata in the ongoing IPL 2025 on Wednesday. With this loss, KKR’s chances of qualifying for the playoffs are all but over.

In the run-chase of 180, CSK were tottering at 60-5 after 5.2 overs and Tiwary reckons Rahane let the opposition off the hook as he should have closed the game there.

Dewald Brevis scored a match-winning knock of 52 runs off just 25 balls, including a 30-run over against Vaibhav Arora. Furthermore, Shivam Dube scored 45 runs off 40 balls whereas MS Dhoni added the finishing touches with an unbeaten 17 off 18 balls.

“Today also some batters were unutilized, which is why they are saying about being 15 runs short. But, bowlers should have closed it out, they should have dealt with it. How can you lose the match after getting five wickets (for 60 runs), you cannot lose from such a position,” Manoj Tiwary said on Cricbuzz.

“Rahane’s captaincy, in my opinion, was a bit flat. If you had given this situation to Rohit, Hardik, or MS, they would have ensured a win 95 out of 100 times,” he added.

Meanwhile, Rinku Singh was dismissed after scoring nine runs off six balls and Tiwary reckons the left-hander is not getting to face many deliveries out in the middle.

“There is no consistency in batting or bowling, not even when it comes to the batting order. Today, it was Manish Pandey’s first game this season, and in a must-win game for the team, the batters who have already been playing like Ramandeep, Moeen Ali, and Rinku, they should have been sent out earlier,” Manoj Tiwary pointed out

“No matter how many matches Rinku Singh is playing, it always feels that he is not getting enough balls to face. Today also he only got to play nine (six) balls,” he added.

Singh has played only 128 deliveries in the ongoing IPL 2025 and has scored 197 runs. Kolkata Knight Riders will next take on Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad on Saturday.