Ottis Gibson, the assistant coach of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), cited skipper Ajinkya Rahane as a batting role model for the team, adding that the veteran batter is very much equal to stalwarts like M.S. Dhoni and Virat Kohli. So far, Rahane has scored 204 runs in six matches at an average of 40.8 and a strike-rate of 154.54. Under his leadership, KKR are currently in third place in the points table, after outclassing Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by eight wickets at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday.

“Quite often, when I’m working with teams and young players, we often look at our role models. We often look at another team for somebody else, and it might be MS Dhoni, it might be (Virat) Kohli.”

“Jinks (Rahane) is a role model for everybody here in this dressing room as a batter, and I’ll tell you why. I believe that when we set up the roster every day, Jinks wants 20 minutes, no bowlers, some little bubble feeds from us and throws from the throwers,” said Gibson in a video posted by the franchise on Saturday.

He further talked about how Rahane radiates calmness in the KKR set-up. “He never hits in the air. It’s on the floor. Then, when the game starts, he knows what his technique is. His strike rate is above 150. He practices what he wants to play every day, and when he bats with us in the middle, he has a certain confidence and certain calmness as he goes about his business.”

“So, to me, he’s a role model for some of you young guys and young batters in this dressing room. So, you should pay attention to the way he goes about his business. We should pay attention to the way he goes about his business,” added Gibson.

Veteran off-spin bowling all-rounder Moeen Ali agreed with Gibson’s assessment, before adding a cheeky spin. “I really agree with Coach that Jinx is an outstanding role model for all batters. But my role model is Sunil (Narine) because he can hit the first ball for six off anyone.”

KKR, the defending champions, will now have a few days off before taking on Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab Kings at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh on April 15.

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