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Rajasthan Royals suffered a shocking 57-run loss in Hyderabad earlier this week but Kolkata Knight Riders, who meet them at the Eden Gardens on Sunday afternoon, are in no position to view that as an opportunity. Back home after two defeats in four days and some tiring travel, KKR face that one big question: How do they pick themselves up from here?
KKR are in a cesspool of confusion and it has manifested itself in their many dubious decisions and in the erosion of collective and individual self-belief. Without a win after six matches, the three-time champions are on a freefall.
On Friday, during their loss to Gujarat Titans, Cameron Green came good at last but was left stranded at the non-striker’s end as batsman after batsman perished going for glory. Tim Seifert looked calmer and more collected than Finn Allen, whom he replaced. Varun Chakravarthy picked up a couple, his first wickets in a long time, and Sunil Narine has found form of late but the two weren’t used in tandem. Young Kartik Tyagi is bringing both pace and purpose to his bowling.
Kumar Sangakkara
All these and more will be needed to tame the Royals, who view Monday’s loss as nothing more than a blip in their otherwise smooth campaign. “It’s one of those things; you understand and move on,” RR head coach Kumar Sangakkara said on Saturday, pointing instead to “a great recovery after being five down.”
What did he tell ‘wonder boy’ Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after that first-ball duck against Sunrisers Hyderabad? “The most important thing for Vaibhav is to never lose the freedom that he plays with. Sometimes, for a batter like him, the less said the better. He’ll figure things out as he goes along,” Sangakkara said. “I just want him to be this 15-year-old kid that goes out and bats, [and has] the kind of wonderment that a kid has for this game.”
The head coach pointed out that it’s not just about an exciting talent but also about the amount of work he puts in at the nets. “He reads the game really well; anticipates situations and plans for bowlers quite well,” Sangakkara gushed. The threat posed by the likes of Sooryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal remains real for KKR, as does the one emanating from the likes of Jofra Archer and Ravi Bishnoi.
2
No of wins for KKR in their last two games against RR
9
No of matches since KKR won — the fourth longest streak in IPL history
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