A veteran star of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) is proving that he is still capable of giving his best ahead of the new edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025).

Ajinkya Rahane, who was roped in by the defending champions in the recent IPL 2025 auction in Jeddah for INR 1.5 crore, scored his second consecutive fifty in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT).

Rahane recorded a quickfire knock of 68 (35) against Kerala after previously playing a deft innings of 52 (34) against Maharashtra.

Rahane’s current form will definitely give him a big boost as he prepares for IPL 2025. There are also rumors that the 36-year-old will take over the reins of captaincy of the franchise and his current performance will further support his cause.

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Ajinkya Rahane plays like Mumbai’s lone warrior against Kerala

Talking about the match, Kerala posted a towering total of 234 for 5 in their 20 overs. However, the young Mumbai pair of Prithvi Shaw and Angkrish Raghuvanshi could not get their team off to a good start, losing for 23 and 16 respectively.

Then it was the experienced duo of former KKR captain Shreyas Iyer and the expected new KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane who stood in the middle. Shreyas scored 32 off 18 balls with two fours and as many sixes and added 42 runs with Rahane.

After Abdul Basith broke the partnership off Iyer’s wicket, Mumbai’s innings collapsed. Ajinkya then played the role of a lone warrior, scoring 68 off 35 balls, encompassing five boundaries and four maximums.

In the end, it was not enough and Rahane’s efforts went in vain as Mumbai were able to post 191 for 9 in 20 overs and conceded the contest by a margin of 43 runs.

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