Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders have struggled with batting issues throughout this IPL season and the changes made for the home game against Gujarat Titans were not effective, feels former captain Eoin Morgan. KKR’s loss to Gujarat Titans by 39 runs here on Monday was their second consecutive defeat in the tournament, third in the last five matches and overall fifth in eight games. It has also been a season of struggle at home for the three-time champions who have also lost three of the four matches at the Eden Gardens.
“Kolkata Knight Riders has simply not bounced back as well as we would have liked them to. It’s always a good sign for a strong team with a lot of character around, but they had the same failures that they’ve shown throughout the tournament,” said JioStar expert Morgan.
“They made a couple of changes (against GT), mainly to try and gain some impetus in their batting line-up, and it didn’t necessarily come off. Were the changes worth it? They’ll sit back and say no.” Morgan said KKR failed to forge partnerships in chase of 199 as they finished at an ordinary 159 for eight.
“It was interesting to hear Ajinkya Rahane talk about 199 being a chaseable score because towards the back end of Gujarat Titans’ innings, we thought the ball held up more than we expected (and) that made finding boundaries harder,” he said.
Morgan added, “But there was no rhythm, no substantial partnerships — almost the polar opposite of what Gujarat Titans displayed.” Morgan was all praise for India and GT pacer Prasidh Krishna who delivered another vital spell of 4-0-25-2.
“He’s the purple cap holder at the moment, and his rhythm just keeps getting better. We know he has that extra bit of pace to work with, but you have to admire the strength he brings during the middle phase of the game,” he said.
“As a captain, having a seamer who can make that kind of impact in the middle overs is absolutely priceless.” “He now finds himself with the most wickets in this year’s tournament — by some margin, actually, by four. It’s great to see him growing as a player, evolving across formats, and now being rewarded with national honours as well,” Morgan added.
Meanwhile, former India batter Ambati Rayudu praised B Sai Sudharsan, who made 36-ball 52 to take his tally past 400-run mark in this IPL, for playing the game in “traditional style”.
Rayudu said, “It gives us such joy to watch him bat. As a classical batsman, he shows how the game can still be played in a traditional style — (to) use the pace of the ball, play under your eyes, keep it along the ground, and play smart cricket. Playing smart cricket brings runs and also builds confidence.”
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