Is Kallis becoming a liability for KKR?

Displaying a clinical performance during last year’s IPL final against the then two-time defending champions Chennai Super Kings, King Khan’s Knight Riders finally managed to lift the trophy for the first time in five attempts. Though the team had been sporting a champion’s look right from the inception of IPL, they did not even reach the semifinal stage till the 2011 edition. So, it was a great effort on the whole by the entire squad which was successful in breaking the long lasting jinx last year.

Though they struggled as a team in the first four seasons, it was in fact their resounding victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore by 140 runs in the first ever IPL match that ultimately set the ball rolling for the cricket’s greatest extravaganza to write an unassailable script for the future. Aided by Brendon Mccullum’s 158 runs off just 73 balls, Knight Riders gave a devastating pounding to Dr. Mallya’s men, bundling them out for just 82 runs. That knock from the New Zealander remained as the highest individual score in all IPLs until a couple of weeks back when it was obliterated by a certain Chris Gayle, batting against a mediocre bowling attack of Pune Warriors India.

In spite of having such an explosive batsman in their squad, it is indeed pathetic to note that he has been overlooked by the team management totally in this year’s IPL. Agreed he had a hamstring injury to start with at the onset of this year’s event, but the sad part is he has been ignored even after he seemed to have recovered from it. By the time he got an opportunity to play for KKR during the last week of April against last year’s losing finalists, Super Kings, his team was already down in the dumps from which recovery had become almost impossible. He was made to spend his time in the dugout all throughout this season and has also been granted an earlier release by his team management. The situation has been no different in the case of Brett Lee too, who has also been not given a regular slot in the team, something that he thoroughly deserves. He has been in and out of the playing XI despite the fact that he started off this IPL by bowling out Unmukt Chand with the very first delivery of the event.

Instead, they have chosen to persevere with the South African all rounder Jacques Kallis. It must be said he is one lucky guy as he is managing to remain in the playing XI despite some ordinary performances with the bat. Critics may still argue that he has been quite effective with the ball, though he owns a modest average of 20.41 with the bat till date, striking at a rate of just over 100 which is unacceptable for a top order batsman. Whoever comes up with such an argument in favour of the South African should understand that he is more of a batting all rounder and so he is expected to contribute more with the willow than with the ball. IPL may have its Narines, Malingas and Steyns but make no mistake about it – T20 is after all a “batsman’s game” and so it is essential for a team contingent to have more players who can swing their bat in a hurry.

But in Kallis’ case, it is very much evident that he has fallen short in this area. He might have taken 13 wickets so far, having played in as many number of games, but that should not influence his presence in the side. Had Brett Lee been used regularly instead of giving him an extended run, not only would he have made a difference by taking more wickets than what the South African has got until now, but also amassed quick-fire 20s and 30s at the end of the innings, which would have benefited his side.

In T20 cricket, where every run is valuable, it is no shame if you are able to score only 20s and 30s, but the real problem with Kallis has been the pace at which he scores them. Little cameos could make a huge difference for a team and that is not something with which you could associate the veteran from Cape Town. He has been consuming not only more balls, but he also gets out when he finally decides to accelerate the flow of runs.

As far as his cricketing abilities as an all rounder are concerned, no one can question his brilliance. While some rate him next only to Sir Garfield Sobers as an all rounder, there are a few who consider him better than the legend from Barbados. He deserves all the accolades for his contribution to cricket on the whole but at the same time he is just not the player who you should be desperate to have if you are the owner of a particular franchise.

The shots that he plays do not seem to be quite connecting with the demands of the shortest version of the game. His favourite shots have been the cover drives on the up, square cut and the little flick off his pads. Those are proper cricketing shots and are not tailor-made for T20s. It is good to possess such elegant shots which are wonderful to watch. In addition to that, as a T20 batsman, you are required to improvise a bit and play some risk taking ones too. We do not often see him doing that, do we?

Leave alone the improvisation part, he has not been showing any signs of aggression too. Seldom have we seen him coming down the wickets to the spinners and very rarely have we witnessed him attempting to pull the bowlers or hoisting them over square leg and mid wicket. As a top order batsman, you are expected to the pace the innings quickly by utilizing the fielding restrictions to the maximum – making it easier for the batsmen to follow. The South African has failed in that area also. Having Kallis in a T20 side is alright if you are able to restrict your opponents under 140, which is not something you can do regularly. But KKR, it seems, have not done their homework right and have played him in all the 13 matches till now and the result is clear. They are officially out of the IPL.

It is sad to note that the fourth highest run getter in Tests has now become a liability for the team. The 37-year-old is not getting any younger either and I must say KKR would be sincerely looking to disown him for the next season – a move which should pay off big time for them, if they do it eventually.