IPL-Playoffs: Needed someone to bat through the chase, Ajinkya Rahane

Kolkata, May 24 (CRICKETNMORE) - Stressing that they needed one of the top four batsmen to stay at the crease till the end, skipper Ajinkya Rahane said with so many wickets in hand, Rajasthan Royals should have won against the Kolkata

Rahane revealed he had asked Samson during the second strategic timeout in the 14th over to play till the end while he would look to up the ante. Rahane fell to Kuldeep in the first ball after the break when they still required 61 off 36 balls. Two overs later, Samson departed. "I think our plan was to go deep. I just told Sanju after second timeout that I will play some positive shots and if you are still there, you bat deep," said Rahane. "Credit goes to KKR bowlers. Especially the way they bowled the last 4-5 overs. If you see, last 36 balls we got 30 odd runs. So when opponents bowl like that, credit goes to them. We need to learn for next season. We batted well in patches and were not that good enough throughout the season," he added.

Asked the reason for sending Heinrich Klaasen and Stuart Binny ahead of K Gowtham who can score at a brisk pace, Rahane said, "If you see Klaasen is a very good batsman. He did well in the last game and it is difficult when you don't get those runs and try and think what if Gowtham was sent to bat. "But we backed Klaasen. He tried his best. KKR spinners were really good. With our batting line-up, we wanted to go deep and if Klaasen can come, they have 7-8 overs left, that was a perfect opportunity for him. Unfortunately, we didn't cross the line," he said."I don't think the strategy was wrong there. Gowtham's batting position..he batted well at No.6 and 7...credit goes to KKR bowlers," Rahane added.