IPL 2019: No need to panic yet, says RR captain Ajinkya Rahane

Jaipur: Rajasthan Royals might have lost four out of five matches in the ongoing IPL but captain Ajinkya Rahane feels there is no need to hit the panic button just yet.

After restricting Rajasthan Royals to 139 for 3 in 20 overs, Kolkata Knight Riders' Sunil Narine (47) and Chris Lynn (50) tore their bowling attack to shreds, sharing 91 runs for the opening stand in 8.3 overs to reach the target with 6.1 overs to spare.

"I think there's no need for us to panic yet. Out of the five matches that we played, we lost badly in just one game. We played well in our last four matches, out of which we could have won three," Rahane said at the post match press conference.

"When you're losing, you can risk overthinking. But when you're winning, you don't dwell on things that much.

"It's not too late for us. If we can improve and apply ourselves, the desired results will surely follow," he added.

Rahane said that the batsmen need to stay longer at the crease and take calculated risks, while bowlers are expected to quickly get the hang of the wicket and execute the plans accordingly.

"Execution is the key for us as a batting and bowling unit. Risk is an integral part of the T20 format and players need to often back themselves. It's not the responsibility of an individual, but rather the whole team. We win as a team, we lose as a team. We need to improve as a team.

"The set batsmen need to stay on the crease longer and take the game deeper, while also taking calculated risks. Similarly, the bowlers need to execute their plans based on the understanding of the wicket, and by observing the difficulties that the batsmen are facing with regards to playing any shots," he explained.