5 matches, ZERO wins, 1 point. The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) could not have gotten off to a worse start. Barring the game against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), KKR have never really looked comfortable to win any of the remaining games. They have not been able to bat the opposition out of the game and while chasing have looked toothless. The captaincy has looked non-existent.
Ajinkya Rahane’s only contribution this season, other than his 67 against Mumbai Indians (MI), has been to stir up a little bit of controversy when he was questioned about why Indian Premier League’s (IPL) most expensive player, Cameron Green wasn’t bowling. “You should ask Cricket Australia,” he said.
Regardless of Green’s abilities with the ball, it is his batting, and for that matter the entire KKR’s batting, which has proved to be disappointing. Their ability to get those big runs in the powerplay has gone down considerably and the lack of quality, experienced pace bowling options has left the team wanting.
Just two years ago, KKR were on top of the world, having won their first IPL title in a decade. However, some senseless releases and some reckless buys at the auction have now put a lot of pressure on the three-time champions to get off the foot of the table. What a difference two years can make!
Release blunders?
Shreyas Iyer, Mitchell Starc and Venkatesh Iyer, who played massive roles in their success in 2024, were let go. Moreover, Andre Russell’s all-round abilities are sorely being missed. The loss of Akash Deep and Harshit Rana to injuries this season is also a blow. Moreover, the absence of their INR 18 crore signing Matheesha Pathirana in the initial stage does not help their case either. With Green not bowling full tilt yet, it has caused a massive hole in KKR’s pace battery.
Pace vs spin: Who fared better?
The KKR pacers’ 16 wickets this season have come at an economy rate of 11.53 (worst among all teams) and average of 32.43 (third worst), which are worrying signs.
Their veteran spinners Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy are doing their bit, but with lack of support from the pacers, batters are happy to play them out and take on an inexperienced bowling attack led of Kartik Tyagi and Vaibhav Arora. This is further proved by the KKR’s spinners’ excellent economy rate (8.54), which is among the top three this season and average of 41.71.
Their batting have shown cracks as well. Their batters have managed just three fifties in the tournament – the lowest among all teams, scoring at under nine an over (8.90), when the average run rate this season has been 9.38. In a tournament where 220 seems chasable, KKR’s run rate means they score an average of under 180 every game.
In that scenario, one cannot blame the bowlers alone. In what has been batting-friendly tracs throughout, KKR’s approach with the bat has been under par to say the least.
However, if there is one positive for KKR, it is Tyagi, who has bowled with great pace, and has been among the wickets this season. “I think all credit goes to him. I mean, he’s working really hard in the nets. He’s been bowling really good and a great talent. The pace which he’s bowling at the moment has been amazing. So I’m really happy for him. Game by game, he’s improving his skills,” Rahane said of Tyagi after KKR’s 32-run loss against CSK.
Disruption due to injuries
Injuries and with the full squad not at KKR’s disposal yet, one can easily understand their poor run of form this season. With one-third of the games played, KKR are yet to figure out their best XI. They are already in the middle of their worst losing streaks, and with the next two matches coming in the span of four days, KKR would hope that they can turn a corner and get that elusive W against their name.
It may not be a season that has begun well for them, but their character will certainly be tested from here on and it is up to them to show how much fight they still have left in them.
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