Data Bet Backfires on Rahane's Toss
Eight-of-ten stat lured Rahane to bat. Pitch 6's seam movement exposed the gap.
Mohammed Siraj slanted one across in the third over. Early seam bite on Pitch 6.
Ajinkya Rahane chose to bat. Last ten IPL games here backed that call—eight times teams batting first won.
Conditions shifted. The new ball moved off the seam. Siraj and Kagiso Rabada took three Powerplay wickets. KKR slumped to 180. GT chased it in 19.4 overs. Gill made 86. KKR's sixth loss.
Captains lean on stats for tosses. Historical trends guide them. Yet seam trumped the numbers that night. Data serves. Conditions rule.
Filed under Ajinkya RahaneAjinkya RahaneMohammed SirajKagiso RabadaShubman Gill
From the CricHubb archive · predates machine verification
1 source
History
- DevelopingApr 18, 2026 · CricHubb Desk