He might have been the star of Rajasthan Royals’ win over Pune Warriors in a high-scoring IPL thriller but Ajinkya Rahane was modest about his role, opting to praise his team’s bowlers for keeping it tight in the death overs.
Chasing 179, Royals romped home with five wickets and a ball to spare on Sunday night. Rahane was the star for them bagging the man-of-the-match honour for striking a 48-ball knock of 67.
“I feel our bowlers came back strongly and restricted the visitors a good 10-15 run short then what was expected at one stage. They should be given credit for the way they bowled in last 6-7 overs,” said Rahane after the match here.
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The 24-year-old, who is seen as a bright prospect for the future, was not picked in India’s Champions Trophy squad but Rahane said he would rather focus on performance than selection.
“I wanted to contribute and play well. Selections are not in my hands,” said Rahane.
Talking about Sunday’s match, Rahane said his strategy was to stay at least till the 15th over to ensure the team was close to a win.
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When asked how it was when he was batting with Dravid, the youngster said he is learning from the great player.
“It has been a great learning experience batting with him. I have been watching since my childhood and still learning from him,” said the batsman.
Talking about the next two home games against Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super Kings, Rahane said his team is focusing on one match at a time.
“Delhi is a pretty good side. We want to take one match a time, so, we are not thinking much about the playoffs,” he said.