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NEW DELHI: Ajinkya Rahane praised his team’s composure and experienced stars after Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Mumbai Indians by four wickets to stay alive in the IPL 2026 playoff race.Rahane was especially delighted with the efforts of veteran spinner Sunil Narine and mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy, whose disciplined bowling helped KKR keep Mumbai under pressure throughout the innings.“That was really important, I was really happy with the way Varun and Sunil were bowling,” Rahane said after the win at Eden Gardens.The KKR skipper also reserved special praise for experienced batter Manish Pandey, who anchored the chase with a calm 45-run knock in a pressure game.“Really happy for Manish, his work ethic and attitude, it is not easy when you are not playing regularly. Today’s knock I am very happy and each and every member is happy for Manish,” Rahane added.KKR’s victory came after their bowlers restricted MI to 147/8 despite a late cameo from Corbin Bosch. During the chase, Manish Pandey and Rovman Powell stitched together a crucial partnership before Rinku Singh sealed the win.Rahane said KKR’s recent improvement has come from focusing on one game at a time instead of looking too far ahead in the tournament.“What has worked for us in the last 6-7 games is being in the moment and taking it one game at a time,” he said.The win keeps Kolkata firmly in the playoff race heading into the final stages of the league season.
