IPL 2025: Spin coach Bahutule feels RR fell 15-20 runs short

Sairaj Bahutule

After Rajasthan Royals (RR) suffered an eight-wicket loss to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), spin-bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule admitted that the side could have added 15-20 more runs to their total to put pressure on the defending champs.

RR were wrecked by a mixture of their batters throwing their wickets away and KKR's spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Moeen Ali being at their controlling best to pick four wickets as the 2008 champions made only 151-9. In reply, KKR completed the chase with 15 balls to spare, as Quinton de Kock smashed an unbeaten 97.

"A slightly sticky track to start off with, but we could have added 15-20 runs more to put pressure on KKR. But we are a young side with a young captain. So keeping the wicket aside, it's the question of just us getting into performance mode, which I feel will come [soon]," said Bahutule after the defeat.

RR's spin duo of Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana were quite ineffective, returning combined figures of 1-66 in seven overs. Bahutule said: "Both are world class spinners, but at times, I thought they were short. If they had just owned the lengths a bit longer, there was definitely a lot of purchase for
the spinners."

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