After convincingly winning their first four games, RR has been brought down to earth and given a reality check. First, they were beaten by SRH in Hyderabad before they lost to KKR last afternoon in a thriller. Away grounds are proving to be a bane for them. They started well and were on the right track, but lost their way with the ball and then posted an under-par score. They bowled well initially, but a few lapses in the field cost them the game, as the game is of fine margins at the end of the day. There were areas where RR were found wanting, and we will list them out for you.
Losing 5/40 against Varun Chakaravarthy & Sunil Narine in the middle overs dented RR
RR opted to bat first in a day game, which was fine. The visitors started well as the duo of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi gave the team the fast start they always require. The power play was bossed by the duo as 63 runs were scored for the loss of 0 wickets. The duo carried it forward and put on 81 for the first wicket inside 9 overs as RR looked to get a big score. But it was the introduction of Varun Chakaravarthy that did wonders for KKR as he came and broke the stand, dismissing Vaibhav for 46 off 28 balls.
Dhruv Jurel missed out on this occasion as he too fell to Varun before Sunil Narine got into the act to dismiss Yashasvi Jaiswal. RR went from 81/0 to 99/3 in the 12th over, with the top 3 back in the hunt and never really recovered from these blows. Riyan Parag, the non-performing captain, also fell to Varun. The spinners spun a web and strangulated the RR batting, as it never got the momentum it needed to recover on a challenging track, no doubt. Varun had 3/14, and Narine had 2/26, meaning 4/40 in 8 overs.
But a better application from the middle order would have taken RR perhaps to 170-180, which would have been match-winning on this track. But scoring 155 meant it was slightly below par.
RR’s openers are well set, but they need their middle order to stand up and perform. They should stop hiding behind the openers’ performance. The likes of non-performing captain Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, and Ravindra Jadeja need to step up and give RR the confidence that it is not just about Jaiswal and Vaibhav. The others need to step up if RR wants to be on track for a play-off spot. They are fine as of now, but things can get tricky if they continue to lose.
Dropped catch of Rinku Singh by Nandre Burger off Ravindra Jadeja costs RR the game
Despite posting a below-par score of 155 on the board, RR came out all guns blazing to make a match out of this game. They managed to get KKR’s openers for ducks and had them 3 down inside the power play. Wickets were lost at regular intervals as half the side was done and dusted for 70 inside 10.1 overs. RR were on top at this stage. They were 70/5 as Jadeja was in a roll. He was breathing fire and bowling top-class stuff.
Then the big moment came in the contest, the KKR score was 73/5 in 10.5 overs with Rinku Singh batting unbeaten on 8 off 8 balls. Ravindra Jadeja was the bowler, and Rinku played an ugly hoick across the line and got the top edge that went down to short third man. Nandre Burger settled underneath it and dropped the catch. It was a sitter and turned out to be a big moment in the game. Had Rinku fallen, this match was as good as over and in favour of RR. But the dropped catch changed everything.
Rinku put his head down after the dropped chance and made RR pay for the missed opportunity. Ramandeep Singh fell at the score of 85, but Rinku found an ally in Anukul Roy, who also played a crucial hand. But Rinku settled in and played the big shots when required. He played a mature hand to take his side home. Catches win matches, and RR learned it the hard way. They need to be alert and sharp on the field to avoid repeating these mistakes in the subsequent matches.
Questionable Tactics by Riyan Parag & Co dented RR even more
There were some questionable calls that were made by RR captain Riyan Parag, which had most experts scratching their heads. RR, despite posting a below-par score, were in the contest and, with better captaincy, could have won the contest and closed the match out. But Parag, who is in his first proper season as captain, made a few errors in Kolkata that hurt his team and helped the Knights win the contest.
For starters, Ravindra Jadeja was in great rhythm and bowled 3 overs for 8 runs and picked up 2 wickets. Any sensible captain would have completed his quota. But Parag had other ideas. He came to bowl himself and gave away 10 runs in that. Had Jadeja been given full overs, who knows, he may have done the trick for his side. This obsession with data and match-ups is something that will cost Parag and his team. Further on, Nandre Burger was used for 2 overs and was a tad expensive. Brijesh Sharma was introduced late in the piece in the 18th over.
He was tasked to come in and suddenly bowl the 18th and 20th over, which is not easy for Brijesh. He bowled a decent first over and went for runs in the second over, which was natural given the circumstances of the match. Brijesh should have been used earlier. So, some tactical calculations went against RR due to Parag, and it is something he must look into and guard against in the subsequent matches.
What Lies Ahead
So, RR has lost this game and will need to fight back soon. They must have been thinking what might have been. While KKR has won its first game and will next face LSG in Lucknow next Sunday. So, a long gap for the Knights now. KKR are now in 9th place. RR are in 3rd place. Tonight’s game takes us to Ahmedabad as the Narendra Modi Stadium will play host to the clash between GT and MI. GT are in 6th place with 6 points while MI have slipped to 10th with 2 points. A must-win game for MI tonight.
Let’s see who has the bragging rights in this one.
Also Read:Â KKR vs RR: Varun Chakaravarthy & Rinku Singh Helps KKR Secure 1st Win Of Season