IPL: Ajinkya Rahane, Cameron Green shine in KKR's warm-up match
What's the story
Like every other franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders' preparations for the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) are in full swing. Ahead of their opener, skipper Ajinkya Rahane and all-rounder Cameron Green shone with explosive half-centuries in their second intra-squad warm-up match. The Golden Knights, led by Rahane, took on the Purple Knights in Kolkata on Monday. The match also saw some other brilliant performances.
Match summary
Rahane, Green lead Golden Knights' batting effort
The Golden Knights batted first with Rahane and New Zealand's Finn Allen as their opening pair. Allen scored a quickfire 31 off just 15 balls, hitting some audacious shots. Rahane then led from the front with an aggressive knock of 58 runs in just 25 balls. He formed a notable partnership with Green, who scored a quickfire half-century off just 30 deliveries.
Match details
Rinku, Ramandeep also contribute for the Golden Knights
The Golden Knights posted a mammoth total of 249/5 in their allotted overs. Rinku Singh and Ramandeep Singh played valuable cameos toward the end, scoring 24 off 8 balls and 42 off just 16 balls, respectively. However, Umran Malik had a disappointing outing with the ball, going wicketless for 44 runs in three overs.
Match outcome
Purple Knights falter in run-chase
In response to the Golden Knights' total, the Purple Knights could manage 188/9 in their allotted overs. Tim Seifert and Rachin Ravindra couldn't do much with the bat. The uncapped Tejasvi Dahiya looked good but fell for just 23 runs. Manish Pandey also contributed with a decent 22 runs. While Seifert made 42 runs in his second go, Rahul Tripathi scored a whirlwind 43.
Information
Three wickets for Kartik Tyagi
Kartik Tyagi had an impressive outing with the ball. While Muzarabani ended with figures of 1/41 in four overs, Tyagi was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets to his name. All three wickets came in his first over.
Campaign
KKR eye comeback
KKR are gearing up for a strong comeback in IPL 2026. They will face Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium on March 29. After a disappointing eighth-place finish last season, the franchise has retained 12 players and released 10. Meanwhile, KKR must back themselves to dominate the proceedings at Eden Gardens - the team's home ground. The track at Eden Gardens is generally batting-friendly in T20 cricket.