Ajinkya Rahane has completely reinvented himself: Eoin Morgan

Chennai Super Kings beat the Kolkata Knight Riders by 49 runs and moved to the top of the points table in an important IPL 2023 matchup at the iconic Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata. Batting first, CSK saw three players score half-centuries. Shivam Dube had 50 off 21, Devon Conway scored 56 off 40 and Ajinkya Rahane scored 71* off 29 as CSK amassed 235 runs – the highest ever at the Eden Gardens in the IPL. Jason Roy top scored for KKR with 61 off 26 and Rinku Singh batted till the end and scored a half century, but it was not enough as KKR only scored 186 runs.

Rahane was adjudged the Player of the Match for his terrific batting on the evening. Rahane’s new-found form led Eoin Morgan to compare his new batting style to that of IPL legend Brendon McCullum, “He’s completely reinvented himself. This is closer to Brendon McCullum-style batting than Ajinkya Rahane. The strike rate in this tournament so far has been through the roof. So many shots are not only elegant but incredibly destructive as well, helping things on the way. You have to sit back and admire what they’ve created. It just goes to show the clarity and freedom he’s been given from Stephen Fleming and MS Dhoni to come out and play ridiculous shots.”

Morgan also had a lot of positive comments for the CSK opening pair of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway, who had another great opening stint tonight, “They are rolling with confidence and momentum and when you have a combination of that, it is hard to stop, particularly on such a small ground at Eden Gardens.”

The Chennai Super Kings set-up has been hailed for its ability to bring the best out of its players for years now. Former CSK champion and JioCinema IPL expert Robin Uthappa discussed why Ajinkya Rahane has had the career revival he’s facing and why Chennai was the perfect place for him to do this, “Ajinkya Rahane has found a new level and he’s batting incredibly well. Today’s innings prove that he’s found a second wind in his career and it will go on for longer.”

Uthappa added, “There are a couple of things that separate this Chennai franchise from others. The first is role clarity, there is communication, and they’re given confidence that if they get a chance, they can get at least four to five chances even if they don’t score. Especially, if you are a proven senior professional. What more does a player want? A good player wants just this much. If you give a good player security, he’ll 100% perform well.”