KOLKATA: Kolkata Knight Riders are staring at some home truths as they prepare to welcome defending champions Gujarat Titans at the Eden Gardens on Saturday.
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After putting to bed Royal Challengers Bangalore’s challenge, Nitish Rana and his team have woken up on the wrong side of the bed twice at home, forcing many to question their ability to get over the line. KKR’s latest win over RCB in the return leg at the Chinnaswamy, however, could be a pointer in search of their balance and efficacy. Apart from ending their four-match losing streak, it has exhibited a template the team management is looking for to flourish upon.
The opening pair has long been a trouble spot for the team. However, the way Jason Roy and Narayan Jagadeesan – their sixth opening combination in eight innings – went about building the innings in Bengaluru, without losing a wicket in the powerplay for the first time this term, may relieve the management of a headache.
Moreover, the victory – KKR’s third in this season – was characterized more by teamwork than any miracle scripting individual show, like Rinku Singh’s act of pulling a rabbit out of the hat in Ahmedabad. If Hardik Pandya and Co. ‘s visit presents KKR with the opportunity of doing a double on the defending champions, the hosts would certainly look to live up to the challenge as a team. This is how any talk of their revival may be defined in the coming days.
Rana & Co. are not entering some uncharted waters though. Back in 2014, the team slumped to a similar situation losing four matches on the trot before rising like a phoenix from the ashes and clinching the championship on the back of a nine-match winning run.
Sitting at No. 7 with 6 points from 8 matches, can KKR recreate the past? Titans’ wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha reminded everyone that Rinku’s razzle-dazzle in Ahmedabad should be viewed as an exception and not a rule. “Such things happen once in 1000 or, maybe, one lakh matches. It was Rinku’s day, not (bowler) Yash Dayal’s,” Saha said.
Be it sealing close matches like the one against LSG or cruising past fellow contenders like CSK, Titans under Pandya have already gathered 10 points and look to be a confidence-oozing team. From Saha and Shubman Gill to David Miller and Rahul Tewatia, they have in the top order a few individuals capable of turning the game on its head. While Mohammad Shami and Rashid are spearheading their attack, veteran Mohit Sharma has also shown that he still has fire in his belly.
On the other hand, Sunil Narine and Andre Russell, two surviving members of KKR’s 2014 winning side, are still at it, although their ability to change the contour of a game single-handedly and regularly seems to be a thing of the past.
This leaves KKR coach Chandrakant Pandit with the arduous task of getting the act together in a break-and-make situation, being aware of the fact that another defeat will severely dent their playoff hopes. It remains to be seen how they cope up with the challenge of crossing the Titans’ hurdle and reigniting hopes in their struggling campaign.
Litton returns home
Bangladesh wicketkeeper-batter Litton Das flew back home to attend a “family medical emergency”, according to a KKR official. There is no update on his return. The 28-year-old played just one match, against Delhi Capitals.
Watch IPL 2023: Under-pressure Kolkata Knight Riders host Gujarat Titans
