Kolkata: The writing on the wall seems to getting clearer for defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders . The Knights are precariously placed, having won just three games out of eight. They face an uphill task to make the playoffs from here.
Just a fortnight ago, KKR’s highest-paid player Venkatesh Iyer , explaining the team’s gameplan, had said, “We want to be a team which understands the pitch and conditions quickly, to assess the par score and try to make 20 runs above par. That’s what aggression means for KKR.” It hasn’t exactly worked out that way.
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Things changed quickly thereafter and former KKR skipper captain Eoin Morgan hit the nail on the head when he said after Monday’s loss to Gujarat Titans, “They (KKR) had the same failures they’ve shown throughout the tournament.” The problem is there for all to see, as skipper Ajinkya Rahane and mentor Dwayne Bravo both admitted.
“We bowled really well, we faltered with our batting,” Rahane said after the side’s 39-run loss to GT at home. “I think the bowlers, first of all, did a fantastic job restricting them to under 200,” Bravo said. “When you are chasing 199, you expect a good start, That’s what we’re struggling (with) throughout this tournament.”
KKR’s winning template last season was based on the blistering starts provided by Sunil Narine and Phil Salt. They’ve tried replicating that impact with three different opening partnerships this season, but with little success. No wonder their openers have the worst batting average this season (19) so far.
“IPL is a tough tournament, and when you don’t start well, batsmen go into a period where they lose confidence,” Bravo said. “Form brings confidence. And we, at the moment, to be honest, don’t have that confidence,” a candid Bravo explained.
Although doubts were raised about the forms of KKR’s retained trio Rinku Singh , Andre Russell and Ramandeep Singh, Bravo felt slowing down in the middle overs is leaving too much for the finishers to achieve. “Russell is not the only one who is struggling at the moment.
When Russell walks in to bat every time, the run-rate is at 14-15. So the work needs to be done on top so that we give him a chance to finish off games like he is accustomed to doing over the years for KKR,” Bravo stated.
The team also does not seem to arrive at a settled batting order, with impact player Angkrish Raghuvanshi, one of their in-form batters, coming at No. 9. “We tried to create a left-right combination,” Bravo said trying to explain the batting order.
But at the same time he indicated some changes in the coming days. “There is a fine line between backing a player and trying to come up with the best combination. We can try to make some changes, some necessary adjustments to give the team the spark that is missing,” the West Indian said
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Just a fortnight ago, KKR’s highest-paid player Venkatesh Iyer , explaining the team’s gameplan, had said, “We want to be a team which understands the pitch and conditions quickly, to assess the par score and try to make 20 runs above par. That’s what aggression means for KKR.” It hasn’t exactly worked out that way.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
Things changed quickly thereafter and former KKR skipper captain Eoin Morgan hit the nail on the head when he said after Monday’s loss to Gujarat Titans, “They (KKR) had the same failures they’ve shown throughout the tournament.” The problem is there for all to see, as skipper Ajinkya Rahane and mentor Dwayne Bravo both admitted.
“We bowled really well, we faltered with our batting,” Rahane said after the side’s 39-run loss to GT at home. “I think the bowlers, first of all, did a fantastic job restricting them to under 200,” Bravo said. “When you are chasing 199, you expect a good start, That’s what we’re struggling (with) throughout this tournament.”
KKR’s winning template last season was based on the blistering starts provided by Sunil Narine and Phil Salt. They’ve tried replicating that impact with three different opening partnerships this season, but with little success. No wonder their openers have the worst batting average this season (19) so far.
“IPL is a tough tournament, and when you don’t start well, batsmen go into a period where they lose confidence,” Bravo said. “Form brings confidence. And we, at the moment, to be honest, don’t have that confidence,” a candid Bravo explained.
Although doubts were raised about the forms of KKR’s retained trio Rinku Singh , Andre Russell and Ramandeep Singh, Bravo felt slowing down in the middle overs is leaving too much for the finishers to achieve. “Russell is not the only one who is struggling at the moment.
The team also does not seem to arrive at a settled batting order, with impact player Angkrish Raghuvanshi, one of their in-form batters, coming at No. 9. “We tried to create a left-right combination,” Bravo said trying to explain the batting order.
But at the same time he indicated some changes in the coming days. “There is a fine line between backing a player and trying to come up with the best combination. We can try to make some changes, some necessary adjustments to give the team the spark that is missing,” the West Indian said Also Watch:
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