Jaipur: Ajinkya Rahane played with an authority and class that showed even the shortest version of the game could be won with pure cricketing shots. His 98 was enough to lay the foundation of Rajasthan Royals win and later Kevon Cooper bowled splendidly to give Rahul Dravid and Co. a 31-run win over Kungs XI Punjab led by Adam Gilchrist in IPL here on Friday.

In all praise for young Rahane, skipper Dravid said that Rahane is an exciting talent and has really worked hard after being out of the Indian team. “It’s good to start with a win. Rahane played brilliantly. He has worked really hard after being out of the Indian team. It was nice to see the youngsters doing well. We executed our plans well. But then it’s just the beginning and it’s a long tournament. We need to keep the momentum going," Dravid said during post match presentation ceremony, adding that Cooper too was menacing on the field today.

Meanwhile, Adam Gilchrist said that his side was a bit itchy in the middle but there were a lot of positives that they could take from this match. “We chased well till the 16th over but then lost the plot. Cooper bowled well. Rahane played a fantastic innings. We were outplayed. Probably, I got the toss wrong. We gave away 20-30 runs more than what I thought we should have conceded. We now have plenty to work. We need to work hard for our victories and execute our plans well," Gilchrist added.

Ecstatic about getting the man-of-the-match award, Rahane said that he would like to continue playing such innings and contribute to his team’s cause. “I was batting well even in practice games so wanted to continue. I believe in myself and if you are a good batsman, you will play well irrespective of the format,” said Rahane when asked if T20 suited his style of batting.

“The wicket was good and the ball was coming on well," he said.

Indian Sports News