IPL 2019: What is hurting KKR so badly that they have lost 5 matches in a row?
After a solid start to IPL 2019, Kolkata Knight Riders now seem to have lost their way spectacularly. They have gone from being toppers of the IPL points table with four wins from five matches, to the bottom half of the table having lost five matches in a row.
KKR are struggling big time to find a way to end the losing streak. Every KKR fans right now is wondering what is going wrong with the team which enjoyed such a fabulous season last year. In truth, there are a number of reasons for their mediocre showings.
Inconsistent performance of the middle order
While the opening pair of KKR have been giving the team solid starts, the middle order still look vulnerable. The batsmen like Nitish Rana, Robin Uthappa and Shubman Gill have delivered on occasion, but the lack of consistent performances have let down the team's chances of winning, especially in the recent matches.
Skipper Dinesh Karthik is yet to produce a single captain's knock. Moreover, the failure of the batsmen to accelerate the score in the middle overs has left too much to do for the finishers in the death overs.
In their recent match against RCB, Uthappa played a lazy knock of 9 runs off 20 balls, making the run chase lifeless and leaving a humongous asking rate for the next batsmen.
Bowlers struggling to take wickets
Bowling has been a huge matter of concern for KKR this season. Prasidh Krishna, Lockie Ferguson and Harry Gurney have failed to take wickets early in the innings, which has given the opposition batsmen the chance to settle in and score plenty of runs.
All the fast bowlers have taken just nine wickets combined in 10 matches, which shows how blunt they have been this season.
The spinners too have failed to live up to the expectations. Despite having the reputation of being a spin heavy side with Sunil Narine, Kuldeep Yadav and Piyush Chawla in the squad, KKR have not reaped any benefits of playing three spinners regularly this season.
The inability of the spinners to put pressure on the opposition batsmen has severely hurt KKR.
Over-dependence on Andre Russell
There is no doubt how valuable Andre Russell is to KKR. He is the only player in the KKR squad who has delivered consistently, winning a couple of matches almost single-handedly for his team.
But the below-par performances of the other players have increased the responsibility on Russell's shoulders. KKR now look as if they are completely dependent on him for winning matches.
Russell is a proven match-winner. But leaving too much to do for him has dented KKR's chances of winning matches.
Replacements have failed to deliver
We saw several replacements done by KKR in the last match against SRH. Nikhil Naik opened the innings in place of Sunil Narine earlier in the tournament, only to play a scratchy knock of 7 runs off 15 balls.
Yarra Prithviraj and KC Cariappa were drafted into the playing XI replacing Prasidh Krishna and Kuldeep Yadav respectively, but neither of them had a day to remember.
Wrong captaincy moves
Making Andre Russell bat low down the order is definitely a wrong move by the captain and the team management. If KKR need some acceleration in the run rate to put up a competitive total, Russell must be sent up the order so that he gets enough balls to do the job for his team.
Too much shuffling with the batting order has also affected the team's performance, and the bowling changes have left a lot to be desired. Karthik persisted with Kuldeep Yadav against RCB even after he was getting hammered, despite having the option to use Piyush Chawla.
Making Carlos Brathwaite sit on the bench doesn't seem like a good decision either, as he brings in a lot to the table with both bat and ball.
Where do KKR go from here?
KKR will be playing their next match against Rajasthan Royals on 25th April, and will look to work on their flaws and the mistakes they have committed in the recent games. They need to keep motivating themselves and come out all guns blazing to win the game in order to keep their chances of qualifying for the playoffs alive.
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