Kolkata Knight Riders are in a precarious position after their horrific loss to Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL 2020 clash at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Their eight-wicket loss has dented their net run-rate immensely and it has given the likes of Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kings XI Punjab, Rajasthan Royals and even Chennai Super Kings a lifeline in the race for the fourth playoff spot.
Kolkata Knight Riders’ journey in IPL 2020 has been nothing short of a roller-coaster. There have been some good wins, some heartbreaking losses, some thrilling escapes and some horrendous losses. The inconsistency displayed by the Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2020 has put their fans on edge in every single encounter. However, the loss against Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore has put them firmly on the backfoot. They were restricted to 84 and Virat Kohli’s team won the match with 39 balls to spare and by eight wickets. This result has caused a double-whammy to Kolkata Knight Riders’ playoff hopes.
Their Net Run-Rate has fallen to -0.828 and it is the worst among all the teams. With 10 points from 10 games, they are hanging on to the fourth spot and only just. However, the loss has given teams like Kings XI Punjab, Rajasthan Royals as well as Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings a golden chance to barge through the door. What has been the main reason for Kolkata Knight Riders’ inconsistency in IPL 2020? Here are some of the key points.
Q. ) Have they shuffled the batting order far too often?
If one has to pin-point the exact nature of the losses, then it is the lack of a stable batting order that has proven to be the bane of Kolkata Knight Riders’ campaign. If one looks at all the teams, barring Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, their batting order is steady and consistent. Rahul Tripathi is a classic case, batting at No.7 in one match and then immediately opening. Dinesh Karthik has also not had a steady batting position as well as Andre Russell and Eoin Morgan. The ‘floater’ theory has not helped Kolkata Knight Riders at all in IPL 2020
Q) Did the captaincy change happen a little too late for Kolkata Knight Riders?
One can ask any team about changing of captaincy in the middle of the tournament. Most of them will say it does not work. Just ask Rajasthan Royals. When their IPL 2019 campaign ended with no chance of a playoff spot, they replaced Ajinkya Rahane with Steve Smith. However, in Rajasthan Royals’ defence, the move came after it was confirmed that the team had no chance for a playoff spot.
Here, the situation is different. Dinesh Karthik had established a momentum after beating Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings. They were acquiring a bit of momentum but the announcement to make Eoin Morgan the captain right in the middle of the play-off scrap. This may have hurt their momentum big time.
Q) Did Sunil Narine’s reporting of his bowling action hurt Kolkata Knight Riders’ focus?
Sunil Narine had managed to defend 14 runs in the final game against Kings XI Punjab, only just. Narine is no longer the potent spinner that he was when his action was re-modelled following the crackdown on offspinners by the ICC in 2014. However, he still was a bowler who could be difficult to hit. Narine’s reporting of his action robbed Kolkata Knight Riders of a bowler who could contain the opposition in the middle overs.
Q.) How much has Andre Russell’s poor form hurt KKR?
Massive! In IPL 2019, it was Andre Russell’s brute hitting at the death overs that made a difference for Kolkata Knight Riders. However, his poor form has hurt him badly. Consider this, Pat Cummins has scored more runs than Russell. His lack of fitness has also hurt Kolkata Knight Riders.
Q.) Is the failure of the Indian contingent in Kolkata Knight Riders’ batting also one of the factors?
Nitish Rana, Shubman Gill, Dinesh Karthik constitute the bulk of the top and middle order. After a good start, Shubman Gill’s fortunes have faded away. However, the major disappointment has been Nitish Rana who has absolutely struggled to get going. In this tournament, he averages just 18. Karthik averages 16. Only two batsmen average over 30 in this edition for KKR. Consider this stat. No batsmen has a strike-rate of over 140, with the closest being Pat Cummins with 136.
Q.) Is Cummins failure with the ball a major factor for KKR? And Kuldeep’s exclusion is perplexing?
Cummins has taken only three wickets in 10 games at an average of 98, strike-rate of 72 and an economy rate of 8.22. With the bat, though, he averages 26 which is much better than DK and Rana. Cummins is experiencing the reverse Glenn Maxwell. He has turned into a batsman who can bowl while Maxwell in Kings XI Punjab has turned into a bowler who can bat.
Before the start of IPL 2020, everyone knew that Kolkata Knight Riders’ spin attack was dodgy with the inexperience of Varun Chakravarthy. In these conditions, it made sense to use Kuldeep Yadav more. In five matches, Kuldeep has bowled only 12 overs and taken only one wicket. The fact that KKR is not utilising Kuldeep Yadav a lot more makes it perplexing and it will not help the spinner’s confidence.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "KKR IPL 2020")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}