He might have been the star of Rajasthan Royals' win over Pune Warriors in a high-scoring IPL thriller but Ajinkya Rahane was modest about his role, opting to praise his team's bowlers for keeping it tight in the death overs.
Chasing 179, Rajasthan romped home with five wickets and a ball to spare last night. Rahane was the star for them bagging the match of the match honour for striking a 48-ball knock of 67.
"I feel our bowlers came back strongly and restricted the visitors a good 10-15 run short then what was expected at one stage. They should be given credit for the way they bowled in last 6-7 overs," said Rahane after the match here.
The 24-year-old, who is seen as a bright prospect for the future, was not picked in India's Champions Trophy squad but Rahane said he would rather focus on performance than selection.
"I wanted to contribute and play well. Selections are not in my hands," said Rahane.
Talking about last night's match, Rahane said his strategy was to stay at least till the 15th over to ensure the team was close to a win.
