KKR’s batting lineup once again got exposed, and this time against GT. KKR failed to chase down 199 runs and lost the match by a huge margin of 39 runs. Andre Russell‘s place in the side has been questioned, given his lack of playing match-winning cameos. Andre Russell managed to score 21 runs in 15 balls, out of which 18 runs came in boundaries, including 3 fours and 1 six, which wasn’t quite ideal.
GT on the other side would be booming with confidence after their near-perfect performance. The skipper, Shubman Gill, led the team from the front with a barnstorming knock of 90 runs in 55 balls. Shubman Gill’s leadership was also quite commendable & rotated the bowlers smartly as the spin trio Rashid Khan, Washington Sundar & R Sai Kishore took 4 wickets amongst themselves and contained batters.
Andre Russell’s dismissals to leg spinners aren’t a concern- Dwayne Bravo
Dwayne Bravo was having an interaction with the media during the post-match press conference. Dwayne Bravo pointed out that when Andre Russell comes to bat the required run rate of 14-15. KKR mentor Dwayne Bravo stated that batters aren’t doing their job and said that top order needs to do the hard yards first rather than putting pressure on the lower middle order.
“We as a team didn’t bat properly. That’s just the reality. Russell isn’t the only one struggling right now. We need to keep the players mentally focused but IPL is that kind of tournament that when you don’t start well, batsmen go into a period where they’ve lost confidence. That’s what’s happening at the moment,” said Dwayne Bravo.
“When Russell walks in to bat every time, the run rate is at 14-15. The work needs to be done at the top so that he has a chance to finish the game like he’s accustomed to at KKR. He’s been out to legspinners a few times but that’s not a concern. We just need to bat better so he can finish games,” he added.
Andre Russell’s form a concern
Andre Russell in 6 innings so far has scored 55 runs at a strike rate of 119.56. When Russell came into bat, KKR’s score was 91-4 and they needed another 108 runs to win from 7.3 overs, precisely 45 balls. Russell was struggling to clear the fence, and so was Rinku Singh. Rashid Khan foxed Andre Russell in the 16th over and was stumped.
Andre Russell’s batting approach was also quite highly questionable. Andre Russell was batting along with Rinku when KKR needed 32 runs to win from 56 balls against PBKS. There was a tragic collapse in KKR’s batting lineup. The destructive batter was seen taking risks even when there was no pressure of the required run rate at all, as PBKS won the game by 16 runs.
Andre Russell, a modern-day giant and a flamboyant all-rounder, has somewhat lost his match-winning ability. Rinku Singh also hasn’t been able to whack the bowlers around the park. Rinku has scored 133 runs in 7 innings, against LSG, though he almost pulled off a heist by scoring 38 runs in 14 balls, but other than that, his performance hasn’t been according to his reputation and credentials.
Dwayne Bravo opens up on the batting positions of players
Dwayne Bravo said that the batting positions of batters was changed to maintain the right-hand left-hand combination. Dwayne Bravo stated that Angkrish Raghuvanshi was unfortunate to bat at No.9 position due to the permutation and strategy. Dwayne Bravo didn’t hesitate in saying that KKR batters lack confidence and pointed out that players are doing their best in practice and not just sitting.
“We tried to create a left-right combination, we are a team that is blessed with quality left- and right-handers in our top order. So we tried to use that to the best of our ability, especially against a team of quality spinners. Unfortunately, Angkrish had to keep slipping down the order,”Â
“When you’re chasing 200, you’re trying to maximise as much as possible and try to get in the guys who have the ability to really hit the ball in the middle. But again, our batters are low on confidence. Normally, runs bring confidence, form brings confidence and now it’s time to be honest. The batters don’t have confidence at the moment, but the guys are preparing and practising. They are not sitting back and missing practice. We cannot fault their effort, it’s just not working out at the moment,”
Steep road ahead for KKR
KKR, the defending champions, might face an early exit from IPL 2025. KKR, as of now, is placed at 7th position on the points table with 3 wins from 8 matches with a NRR of +0.212. KKR haven’t been able to capitalize on their home ground advantage; they have been outplayed 3 times out of 4 matches, which has started to hurt them with half of their home matches done & dusted.
The side is way too dependent on skipper Ajinkya Rahane. Rahane has been the lone warrior who has been in sublime touch and has been top scorer of KKR with 271 runs in 8 innings with 3 half centuries to his name. Rahane smashed a half century against GT in 36 balls with 5 fours and 1 six but couldn’t get a big score as his knock wasn’t quite fruitful for side. Ajinkya Rahane, though alone, can’t take KKR to play-offs and their next match is against PBKS on 26th April at Eden Gardens and perhaps one of not many chances for KKR to get back to their best.
Also Read: KKR vs GT: Shubman Gill’s Heroics Hand Massive Setback To KKR’s Playoff Hopes