After winning their last 5 games, SRH were given a reality check by the KKR franchise as the 3-time champions registered their third consecutive win to keep their playoff hopes alive. SRH started well but lost steam in the middle overs to the spinners as KKR squeezed them to a below-par score before chasing it down with utmost ease. There were areas where SRH lost the plot, and we will try to analyse it for you right here.
Losing 9/60 in the last 10 overs dented the chances of SRH
SRH started well after winning the toss and deciding to bat first, but soon lost the plot. Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma came out all guns blazing and attacked the Knights in the power play. Sharma fell in the fourth over, but Head and Ishan Kishan continued their merry ways to post 71 in the power play overs. The stage was set for another high score by SRH.
The duo carried on and took the score to 105 in 9 overs. But it was the wicket of Travis Head, out for 61, that changed things as he fell when the score was 105 in 9 overs. As soon as the Head-Kishan partnership was broken, KKR came roaring back in the contest while SRH played some loose shots. Heinrich Klaasen came and went to a fantabulous catch from Rovman Powell. Smaran Ravichandran came and went quickly. Wickets were lost at regular intervals as Aniket Verma also went.
Salil Arora too fell, and Ishan Kishan also was starved off the strike and fell after scoring 42 runs. Pat Cummins, Shivang Kumar and Harshal Patel fell as SRH were bowled out for 165 in 19 overs. A collapse of 9/60 in 10 overs is not acceptable, and SRH needs to be mindful of that. Yes, KKR bowled well and credit to them, but SRH needs to improve in these areas if they want to go further in this tournament. There was no Nitish Reddy due to illness, and that affected the balance of the side.
Losing 5 wickets in the middle phase to the spin duo of Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine dented the chances
SRH did well in the power play overs as they amassed 70 runs for the loss of one wicket in those 6 overs. But it is the middle phase that made all the difference in the end. SRH succumbed to the spin might of KKR, who strangulated them and restricted them to a below-par score. The pacers chipped in as well, but it was the spinners who did the real damage.
Varun Chakaravarthy started it off with 3 good wickets and put a break on the scoring of runs. He bowled with good control and guile, and despite injuring his ankle while bowling, he managed to finish his excellent spell. Varun dismissed Travis Head, Smaran Ravichandran, and Aniket Verma. He did the major job, and he was ably supported by Sunil Narine.
Narine went for 20 in his first two overs, which he bowled in power play. Post that, he came back and picked up his 200th IPL wicket. He got rid of Salil Arora and the dangerous Ishan Kishan. These two picked up 5 wickets and never allowed SRH any momentum. The shot selection was poor, and the Orange army must reflect and look at ways to improve in those areas in the coming matches, as things will only heat up from here.
Inability to take wickets in the middle phase sealed the fate of this game
KKR too came out all guns blazing in this 166-run chase. They too made 71 runs for the loss of one wicket in this phase, the same as the first innings. So, the power plays cancelled each other out. Finn Allen made an immediate impact as he scored 29 off 13 balls, and the first wicket partnership was worth 49 runs in 4 overs to give the side the head start that it needed. Finn fell after 4 overs, and then Angkrish Raghuvanshi joined Rahane in the middle.
The duo settled in and aced the middle phase of the game. The duo of Rahane and Raghuvanshi did not have any pressure of the run rate, and they played it sensibly to make sure that the team wins at the end of the day. They played quality shots as SRH lacked the bowling power to defend such a paltry score on the board. The duo looked in control as the youngster dominated the partnership while Rahane held one end up. They put on 84 for the second wicket and most of it in the middle phase of the game.
Rahane did get out after the 15th over, while Raghuvanshi too fell towards the end. But by then, KKR had control of the proceedings and won the contest quite comfortably without breaking a sweat. SRH needs to have more incisiveness in bowling to create more pressure on other teams and make a match out of it in these below-par totals. It was the middle overs where SRH lost the plot in both innings, something they will definitely address.
What Lies Ahead
SRH will next face the Punjab Kings in a crucial clash, while KKR has a few away games to play as well. Each game will be crucial for all teams going ahead. The battle of 9th vs 10th takes place tonight as MI hosts LSG in Mumbai, with MI in 9th place and LSG in 10th place. Let’s see how things pan out in Wankhede Stadium.
Also Read: SRH VS KKR: Varun Chakaravarthy’s Inspired Bowling Helps KKR Keep Their Playoffs Hopes Alive.