"Things could have been different if they had an extra bowler" - Pragyan Ojha after KKR's 4-wicket loss vs DC
Former India spinner Pragyan Ojha believes that Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) missed a trick by playing just four frontline bowlers in their clash against Delhi Capitals (DC) on Thursday.
The former Indian left-arm spinner thinks that Shreyas Iyer and Co. had a better chance of winning the game if they had an extra bowler in their lineup.
The Kolkata captain used a total of eight bowlers against DC at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. However, they still failed to defend their score of 146 and ultimately suffered a 4-wicket loss.
Following the match, Ojha opined that Kolkata would have given the opposition a tough fight if they had an additional genuine bowler. He said on Cricbuzz:
"KKR were a bowler short. If they had another frontline bowler in their lineup, then Iyer would not have had to try these many bowling options. Things could have been different if they had an extra bowler."
Speaking in the video, Virender Sehwag mentioned that Umesh Yadav was the only saving grace for the Knight Riders in the fixture. He pointed out that the bowler has been in brilliant form in this year's IPL.
Sehwag also felt that the seamer is hitting the right length and also getting the new-ball to move early on. He explained:
"Umesh Yadav knows how to swing the ball. When the ball moves at that pace, it starts troubling the best of the batters. He hits the corridor of uncertainty with the new ball. While he did a fine job in this game, he didn't get enough support from the rest of the KKR bowlers."
Umesh Yadav made a significant impact with the ball yet again in the ongoing IPL 2022. He conceded just 24 runs from his full quota of four overs and also picked up three crucial wickets against DC.
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"The KKR batters aren't scoring enough runs" - Virender Sehwag
Former India captain Virender Sehwag also suggested that the KKR batters have struggled to perform consistently in the tournament. He believes that the players have to take responsibility and give their bowlers something to bowl at by registering a good total.
"The KKR batters aren't scoring enough runs. Even while chasing, they haven't been able to do well. The batting unit will have to score over 160-170 runs consistently. Once that happens, then they can focus on what's going wrong with their bowling."
We go down fighting at Wankhede.
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The Kolkata-based side suffered their sixth defeat in the competition. They have managed just three wins from their nine matches and are currently languishing in the eighth spot in the IPL point table.