KKR’s batting is strong, but their attack is letting in far too many runs this season. Going into the IPL 2023, Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) batting looked shaky.
However, after five games, they have scored north of 200 threefold, the main group to do that till Tuesday.
After KKR defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). In which they were chasing 229 runs, stand-in captain Nitish Rana stated, “We have never been short of belief.” SRH scored 205 runs.
Rinku Singh’s success against Gujarat Titans (GT) and Venkatesh Iyer’s 104 against Mumbai Indians (MI). Only in the franchise’s second century in IPL history, both increased self-belief.
Singh has made significant contributions against SRH and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), and Iyer also performed admirably against GT. Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored 57 against RCB and made a cameo appearance against GT. Rana scored 75 against SRH.
However, going into Thursday’s away game against Delhi Capitals (DC). KKR has fallen further down the standings after three overalls and two progressive losses.
“After being brushed aside by MI on Sunday:” Rana stated. They targeted our best bowlers, and if our best bowlers were hit for runs.
Nothing can be done. In the fourth over, Sunny (Sunil Narine) gave up 22 runs, 16 of which went to Kishan.
The way Sunny was played by Ishan (Kishan)…” Rana then urged bowlers to perform better. One-two matches are okay anyway it’s been five games.
KKR has conceded 932 runs, following RCB’s 965 and Chennai Super Kings’ 937 runs, respectively. Up until Wednesday, they were one of four teams with two leaks of at least 200.
Only RCB has had less success. The highest score of the season for SRH against KKR up until Tuesday was 228/4. That is a ton of runs, no matter what the wicket,” Rana expressed.
Varun Chakaravarthy, Umesh Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Tim Southee, Sunil Narine, Shardul Thakur, Andre Russell, and Lockie Ferguson are all part of an attack that cannot be described as inexperienced.
Despite this, there is no KKR bowler in the top 10 for the number of dots bowled (Narine and Chakaravarthy are 13th and 14th, respectively, with 39 and 38 deliveries), and Narine’s economy rate of 8.31 ranks 32nd, making him the best Knights bowler.
Even though Russell has only bowled five overs, his strike rate of 6.33 is the highest. In the main 20, there could not be another KKR bowler.
In KKR’s only game against RCB, Chakaravarthy finished with 4/15 in 3.4 overs, which was the second-best performance of the season up until Wednesday.
Former India all-rounder Laxmi Ratan Shukla, who played for KKR from 2008 to 2013, stated, “The fast bowlers have not delivered.” Consistency has been lacking from the experienced bowlers.
With the ball, KKR hasn’t begun well up until this point,” said previous India hitter Manoj Tiwary, a KKR player from 2010-13.
In 2012, Tiwari hit the winning runs for KKR, who won their first IPL trophy. In the power play, only CSK, DC, MI, and Lucknow Super Giants have taken fewer wickets than KKR’s seven.
Tiwary and Shukla led Bengal to the Ranji Trophy final in 2022 and 2023. While serving as both captain and coach.
Shukla and Tiwary also questioned the bowling changes. The Bengal mentor said KKR ought to have presented a turn sooner than the fourth over against SRH.
At the beginning of MI’s innings, Tiwary wondered why Thakur was favored over Ferguson or Russell. He (Thakur) can get you a breakthrough, but he usually costs a lot.
Tiwary stated that the New Zealander “with a somewhat unorthodox action which can create doubts in the batter’s mind is not being used properly.”
Ferguson went for 14 in his first over against SRH, and GT’s Vijay Shankar took 25 off him in the 19th over of the innings.
In a separate statement, Shukla stated: When the opener for KKR is a foreigner. I would like to see what happens if they start with a spinner.
Tiwary stated that he was uncertain whether the Eden wicket would aid KKR. The track should have been where the ball grips and offers some turn because they are a team that relies heavily on the spin. Take a look at the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).”
At the point when Gautam Gambhir, presently LSG guide, drove KKR. The Eden track was the way Tiwari wished it was. From 2011 to 2017, KKR won the IPL twice under Gambhir’s leadership.
Shukla said he was certain KKR would figure out the bowling. ” With such a lot of involvement, they can’t hit the structure.”
Rana acknowledged this. I am aware that my bowlers will assist me in winning matches,” he stated following the final home game.
DC will hope Rana and Shukla’s predictions are wrong for one more game in order to recover from a terrible season.