Vaibhav Suryavanshi had just smashed the first ball he faced from Vaibhav Arora through cover for a boundary.

Arora pitched the next delivery a little short, and Suryavanshi was enticed into the pull, but ended up with a top edge which flew over mid-wicket. Ajinkya Rahane sensed a chance as he ran back a good 15 yards towards the boundary line.

Eyes fixed on the ball, he dived in front to complete the low catch and raised his arms in jubilation. The KKR captain couldn't hide his emotions and let out a roar before being swarmed by teammates.

If there was a defining moment to the match, it was this. It embodied the spirit of a team, desperate to throw their body on the line to keep their chances of a playoffs berth alive.

Five days ago, Rahane needed a couple of stitches to mend an injury on his right index finger in New Delhi. But he is not the one to be laid low by such setbacks and has shown the inclination to stand up even in times of despair.

When Riyan Parag went berserk with six sixes in seven balls or Rajasthan Royals needed three runs off the final delivery, Rahane never panicked. He seemed a man in control, be it through yelling at his teammates or tinkering with the field placings.

It was his call to swap Rinku Singh from long-on to long-off just before Shubham Dubey digged out Arora's yorker. Rinku pounced on the ball and sent a perfect throw to the non-striker's end to deny the Royals a Super Over. Dubey was left cursing his luck while Rahane basked in the glory of snatching the opportunity to live another day.

His gamble to fall back on Arora for the last over could have been debated for long had the Knights lost the battle of attrition. But it was also his decision to change ends for Varun Chakravarthy, following an expensive first over, which paid instant dividends. The mystery spinner dismissed Dhurv Jurel and Wanindu Hasaranga in a space of three balls.

When Andre Russell walked out at No.5 ahead of Venkatesh Iyer, it took the Eden crowd by surprise, but not Rahane. There had been only one other occasion when Russell had batted higher in the order this season.

The move clicked as Russell set the Eden on fire. From two off nine balls, he galloped to 45 off 20 before completing his half-century of 22. It showed the value of giving Russell more time at the wicket and Rahane could take the bulk of the credit.

Russell-Mania has finally arrived this season. "Once I go in earlier, you can see more," Dre Russ cautioned.

KKR survived by the barest of margins on Sunday, and the KKR fans will hope for a more convincing triumph against CSK on Wednesday.