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Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders have put themselves in a hole, their fifth defeat in eight matches left them with a mountain to climb. A berth in the playoffs is suddenly at the doorstep of impossible.
By now, everyone knows where KKR’s problems lie, but Dwayne Bravo, their mentor, was willing to put a finger on it. “IPL is a tough tournament, and when you don’t start well, batsmen [can] go into a period where they lose confidence. That’s what’s happening at the moment,” the 41-year-old Trinidadian admitted after Monday’s 39-run defeat to the Gujarat Titans at Eden Gardens. “We just have to keep backing them and hope they come good.”
Chaseable target
Echoing skipper Ajinkya Rahane’s belief that “199 was chaseable,” Bravo said “the bowlers did a fantastic job restricting them to under 200.”
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“At the halfway stage [of the match], I think we were the happier team,” he added. “Shubman Gill and Sai [Sudharsan] batted very well, but credit to our bowling group; they really brought it back and gave us a chance.”
Earlier, at the post-match presentation, Rahane too had hinted at the loss of confidence that stalks their batting unit after recurring failures. “This format is about being brave as a batter; if you think about getting out, you will get out,” he said. Both skipper and mentor contended that having the in-form Angkrish Raghuvanshi bat as low as No. 9 was purely situational, a tactical move during the big chase.
Has Andre Russell, who was done in by the googly again as Rashid Khan pulled one back to keep it out of the Jamaican’s hitting arc as he stepped out, been sorted out by opposing teams? “I wouldn’t say so,” responded Bravo. “Russell is an experienced player, a successful player. He is not the only one struggling at the moment. When he walks in to bat, the [required] run-rate is 14, 15… So, the work needs to be done on top such that we give him a chance. We need to bat better to allow our finishers to finish games,” he pointed out.
GT bowlers thrive
While the decision to field first denied the Titans’ potent pace trio of Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj and Ishant Sharma the use of a fresh Eden track, KKR had to bat at a time when the ball was gripping a little more. “When we were bowling, I felt the wicket had more purchase,” admitted Sai Kishore, GT’s left-arm orthodox spinner.
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