Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane admitted that their batting unit let the team down once again, following a 39-run loss to Gujarat Titans in Match 39 of IPL 2025. Chasing 199 at Eden Gardens, KKR stumbled early and never recovered, ending their innings at 159/8. "I thought 199 was chasable, I thought we came back into the game really well with the ball. When you are chasing 199, you expect a good opening start with the batters, that's what we are struggling [with] throughout this tournament," Rahane said during the post-match interview. Rahane praised the bowlers’ efforts and said the team is still confident in their home conditions. However, he pointed to the middle-order struggles as a key concern. "No complaints with our bowlers, I thought bowlers are doing a really good job. Game by game, they are improving a lot. We know these conditions really well, [but] we need to bat properly, we need to bat well in the middle overs, that's what we are struggling [with] as a batting unit," he said. Also READ: KKR stumble again, lose by 39 runs to Gujarat Titans ‘Now it's time to be honest’: Bravo on KKR batters KKR mentor Dwayne Bravo echoed his captain’s thoughts and called for a more honest assessment of the team’s batting issues. While the bowlers have stepped up, Bravo admitted the batters are struggling to find rhythm and confidence. "Our batters are low on confidence. Normally, runs bring confidence, form brings confidence and now it's time to be honest. The batters don't have confidence at the moment, but the guys are preparing and practising. They are not sitting back and missing practice. We cannot fault their effort, it's just not working out at the moment," Bravo said. He also stressed that Andre Russell’s finishing role becomes ineffective when the top order fails to provide a base. "When Russell walks in to bat every time, the run rate is at 14-15. The work needs to be done at the top so that he has a chance to finish the game like he's accustomed to at KKR," he said. "He's been out to legspinners a few times but that's not a concern. We just need to bat better so he can finish games." Bravo added that mental focus is crucial at this stage of the tournament. “This format is always about being brave, whatever has happened in the past, you cannot think too much about it,” he said. After their 39-run loss against the Gujarat Titans on Monday, KKR find themselves in the seventh spot with three wins and five losses from their eight matches. Meanwhile, the Gujarat Titans stay at the top of the table with six wins from their eight matches.