Rajasthan Royals skipper Ajinkya Rahane speaks during a press conference
Rajasthan Royals captain Ajinkya Rahane believes umpires may think of declaring a ball dead if it hits the stumps but fails to dislodge the bails.
In their match against Kolkata Knight Riders last night, a ball from Rajasthan seamer Dhawal Kulkarni had got an inside edge off rival opener Chris Lynn and hit the stumps but did not dislodge the zing bails.
In fact, the ball travelled past the boundary ropes and was awarded a boundary in favour of the batsman.
Rahane feels some credit should also be given to the bowlers in such a scenario by declaring the ball dead.
"The rules are rules. Having said that, maybe the boundary could have not been counted. I told the umpire, at least don't declare it a boundary," Rahane told reporters at the post-match press conference.
"The T20 game is already heavily tilted in the favour of batsmen, and in such a situation, a ball can maybe be declared a dead ball. That was my conversation with the umpire," he said.
Lynn went on to make 50 off 32 balls, while Sunil Narine hit a 47 as the duo shared 91 runs for the opening stand in 8.3 overs to help KKR reach the victory target of 140 with 6.1 overs to spare.
It was Rajasthan Royals' fourth loss in five matches in the ongoing IPL but Rahane feels there is no need to hit the panic button just yet.
"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," he said.
"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.
Rahane said 150-160 would have been a fighting total against KKR here on Sunday night.
"It was important for us to post 150-160 on board, which we felt would be a challenging total on that wicket. We struggled to get to 140, which is possibly a learning for the bowling unit.
"While playing at home, we need to adjust to the wicket as soon as possible, while also being aware of the correct line and length that is to be bowled."
Rahane backed all-rounder Ben Stokes, who during his 22-minute uncomfortable stay at the crease scored just 7 off 14 balls, to come good in the upcoming games.
"Ben has been a vital cog for us and he has an impact on match but unfortunately it did not happen this time. The way he bowled in the last match and has been batting I don't feel his selection for this match was wrong. I am sure he would be performing in the coming matches too.
"As a team we have to back our players. It is not that any particular player is to perform in every match," he insisted.
Meanwhile, KKR debutant Harry Gurney was happy to be declared the man of the match.
Asked whether he had expected it to be so easy, Gurney said, "When I was told that I would be playing I was a bit nervous because it was my debut but I am happy to give a decent performance and look forward to rest of the competition."
