"I am still unable to understand this team's batting order" - Aakash Chopra on KKR's IPL 2025 loss vs LSG
Former India player Aakash Chopra has questioned the Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) batting order in their IPL 2025 loss to the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). He noted that promoting players simply to maintain a left-right batting combination does not always yield dividends.
LSG set KKR a 239-run target in Match 21 of IPL 2025 in Kolkata on Tuesday, April 8. Although the home team seemed headed to a win, they were eventually restricted to 234/7, losing the game by four runs.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener wondered why KKR sent Ramandeep Singh and Angkrish Raghuvansi ahead of Rinku Singh.
"Ramandeep came up the order. Raghuvanshi came up the order and Rinku was sent down the order. I am still unable to understand this team's batting order. Even if you are seeing five or seven balls, you are doing wrong there as well," he said (12:50).
While urging the three-time champions to send Rinku up the order, Chopra noted that the left-handed batter might have won his team the game had he gotten more strike in the final over.
"I request with folded hands that you should send Rinku Singh slightly up the order. Mandatorily needing a left-right combination does not work out all the time. If Harshit Rana had given him the strike in the end, you wouldn't have lost by four runs. The run chase would have happened," he observed.
Rinku Singh smashed an unbeaten 38 off 15 deliveries after being sent behind Ramandeep Singh (1 off 2), Angkrish Raghuvansi (5 off 4) and Andre Russell (7 off 4) in the batting order. He faced only three deliveries in the final over, smashing 14 runs after Harshit Rana managed just five runs off the first three balls.
"Some of his pick-up shots go into the incredible category" - Aakash Chopra lauds Ajinkya Rahane's knock in KKR's IPL 2025 loss vs LSG
![Ajinkya Rahane scored a blazing half-century in KKR's IPL 2025 clash against LSG. [P/C: Getty]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/04/a6eb2-17441733628463-1920.jpg?w=500)
In the same video, Aakash Chopra praised Ajinkya Rahane (61 off 35) for playing a free-flowing knock during KKR's chase in their IPL 2025 clash against LSG.
"Ajinkya Rahane is batting very well. He is batting with great freedom. He is using his bottom hand extremely well. Some of his pick-up shots go into the incredible category. He hit sixes with those shots. He got out eventually, but he is batting extremely well," he said.
While also appreciating Venkatesh Iyer (45 off 29) for playing a decent knock after being rightly promoted in the batting order, the analyst noted that LSG won the game despite an 'ordinary' bowling performance.
"Venkatesh Iyer was sent up the order this time. That was a good thing they did. He also scored his quota of runs, but wickets fell at the wrong time. First Ajinkya fell and wickets started to fall after that. Lucknow's bowling has been very ordinary. It's their weak link and it's getting exposed a little. However, well done LSG, you won another match," Chopra observed.
All the LSG bowlers, barring Digvesh Rathi (1/33 in four overs), conceded more than 11 runs per over. They conceded 22 extras, including 20 runs through wides, with Shardul Thakur (2/52 in four overs) delivering five consecutive wides at one stage.