3 things going wrong for LA Knight Riders in MLC 2024 ft. Sunil Narine's form
Los Angeles Knight Riders (LAKR), who ended up with the wooden spoon in the 2023 season of Major League Cricket (MLC), have not begun well this time around either. They seem to be in a spot of real bother.
Out of the five games that they have played so far, the Knight Riders have won just one and lost three, while the other got abandoned due to rain. They have a mere three points to their name and are ranked fifth in the points table.
LAKR began the tournament well with a 12-run win over the Texas Super Kings, but three poor results came their way soon. It took away whatever little confidence they had gained from their opening encounter.
In this listicle, we take a look at three things that have gone wrong for LAKR this season.
#1 Mediocre batting performances
It has to be said that one of the biggest reasons why LAKR have not been able to perform to the best of their ability this season is their mediocre batting performances.
In the last three matches that they have played, Los Angeles have been defeated by margins of six, nine, and eight wickets, respectively. It proves that they have not been able to put up enough runs on the board.
T20 cricket is partly won by the batters putting up decent totals on the board, and LAKR have not been able to do so very effectively this season.
To improve their showing in the tournament, their batting department will have to fire as a whole to put up big totals.
#2 Ineffective bowling in middle-overs
Another reason why LAKR have been unable to defend totals is their ineffective bowling, especially in the middle overs.
The likes of Shakib Al Hasan and Andre Russell, who have been tasked with the responsibility of handling the middle overs for their side with the ball in hand, have not done too well. In the last three matches that they have played, Shakib has conceded his runs at an economy of 13.50, 11.50, and 9.70, respectively.
Russell, meanwhile, has gone for 17, 11, and 9.50 runs per over in those same games. These experienced players must step up to the plate for LAKR to improve their bowling performances in the MLC this season.
#3 Sunil Narine's lack of form
Another major reason for the Los Angeles Knight Riders' poor showing this season has to be the poor form shown by their captain Sunil Narine.
Although he has backed himself to open the innings for his team - much like he did for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL earlier this year - he has struggled to get going and failed to do well when the ball is moving around.
Narine has scores of 2, 6, 5, and 0 in the four games that LAKR have played this season - as well as just two wickets under his belt - and his teammates will be desperately hoping for him to come good in their next match.
Whenever the captain of a side does not do well, the rest of the team gets demoralized, and the same is the case with LAKR. However, the coaching staff knows that this is but a temporary dip in Narine's form, and he will be expected to come back with a veritable bang soon.