Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane didn’t shy away from responsibility after his team failed to chase a below-par target of 112 against Punjab Kings in Mullanpur. In a match that seemed within reach for large parts, KKR collapsed dramatically to 95 all out, handing PBKS their 4th win of IPL 2025. Rahane, who made 17 off 17 balls during the chase, admitted that the defeat stemmed from a collective failure with the bat and even pointed to his own dismissal as a turning point. “I'll take the blame. As the captain of the team, I played the wrong shot even though it [the ball] was missing [the stumps]. But again, it started from there. We batted really badly as a batting unit, and we take full responsibility as a batting unit. I thought bowlers did really well on the surface, restricting a strong Punjab batting line-up to 111," Rahane said during the post-match interview. ๐๐๐๐. ๐๐. ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐ผ ๐ฌ#PBKS have pulled off one of the greatest thrillers in #TATAIPL history ๐ฎScorecard โถ๏ธ https://t.co/sZtJIQpcbx#PBKSvKKR | @PunjabKingsIPL pic.twitter.com/vYY6rX8TdG — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 15, 2025 'It’s not like Punjab bowled very well' Ajinkya Rahane also pointed out how the Punjab Kings were on par with their bowling, but the defeat was due to the batters playing bad cricket. Earlier, KKR bowlers restricted PBKS to 111 with Harshit Rana leading the way with 3/25. The spin duo, Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine, took two wickets each to put the defending champions in a commanding position. In response, KKR found themselves at 7/2 in the 2nd over. Also READ: KKR Collapse Chasing 111 as Chahal, Iyer Shine for Punjab However, a composed partnership between Rahane and Raghuvanshi kept the team in the hunt. But when Rahane fell, the batting order collapsed in the hands of Chahal. Speaking about the loss in the post-match press conference, Rahane pointed out that the batting let the team down. “It’s not like Punjab bowled very well. I think we played bad cricket as a batting unit. I take this responsibility as a captain that we couldn't chase this down. But individually, I'm sure, all the players, especially the batters, will think about their own game and improve in the upcoming matches,” Rahane said. While the surface wasn’t the easiest to bat on, Rahane made it clear that the KKR lineup faltered due to poor decision-making and a lack of awareness in pressure moments. “Yes, we didn't bat well. We didn't have that game awareness, what the situation demanded on that wicket… T20 is not only about hitting sixes. It’s all about reading the situation well,” he said. After this loss, KKR are placed in the sixth spot with 3 wins and 4 losses from their seven appearances. They will face the Gujarat Titans next on April 21 at the Eden Gardens.