IPL 2018: 3 things KKR need to address before their match against SRH

After quite a convincing start to the new IPL season against Royal Challengers Bangalore at Eden Gardens, Kolkata Knight Riders had a mixed night of sorts on Tuesday, which ultimately ended in disappointment as they lost to a resurgent Chennai Super Kings side, who now have won both of their opening games out of losing situations. After being 5 down for a paltry total of 89 at the end of 10 overs, a 36-ball 88 run knock by Andre Russell, that included 11 hits over the top of the fence helped KKR to a strong total of 202. But, a disappointing bowling performance, barring Sunil Narine, didn’t help their cause as CSK went on to win an emotional game in the last over in front of the home crowd.

Having played two games in the span of two days, KKR now have a gap of few days before the next fixture against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 14. In this article, we take a look at the 3 things that the Knight Riders need to address before their next match at Eden Gardens.

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#1 Dropping Vinay Kumar

The Karnataka state team captain is supposed to be their frontline Indian pace bowler, but hasn’t really got going in the two games this year. Over the two games, Vinay Kumar has bowled a total of 23 deliveries, conceded 65 runs including 5 fours and 6 sixes, and has taken 2 wickets – both wickets coming off the final two deliveries in the RCB innings. He has been trusted with the responsibility of opening and closing out the bowling innings in both the matches and he has struggled miserably at that. The two crucial overs could have set the momentum for either team, and an economy rate of 16.96 clearly tells us whose momentum it’s helping.

Poor performances in the two games would surely mean that Vinay Kumar is dropped in the next match. U-19 star Kamlesh Nagarkoti, who was signed for a fee of INR 3.2 crore, could be named as his replacement in the next match.

#2 The fourth overseas spot – Mitchell Johnson or Tom Curran?

Tom Curran replaced Mitchell Johnson for the second match, will he retain his place?

Mitchell Johnson didn’t really have a bad first game by any means, in fact, he had quite a decent one at that, as he finished with figures of 1/30 in his quota of four overs. He contained the opposition quite well, as he bowled 12 dot balls and took the wicket of Sarfaraz Khan – a player who has quite the knack for explosive cameos. So, it was quite a surprise when Karthik announced Tom Curran as his replacement for the match at Chepauk.

Apart from that 15th over which completely swerved the momentum in CSK’s favor, Curran performed well too, as he took the all-important wickets of Shane Watson and Sam Billings, that helped take the match to the last over. He finished the game with figures of 2/39 in 3 overs. But to reiterate, it was that 17-run over that was the turning point of the match. With three of the four overseas spots remain uncontested for Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, and Andre Russell, it will be interesting to see if Curran retains his place or Johnson returns. Is there a home-away overseas bowler trend beginning to develop at KKR?

#3 The role of Rinku Singh in the starting 11

Could Shubman Gill replace Rinku Singh?

Rinku Singh hasn’t had a lot to do this IPL, so perhaps it’s a bit harsh to analyze his role this early in the season. But it’s imperative to check what he brings to the table by being in the 11. Much of the KKR’s batting deficiencies have been hidden by the fact that Sunil Narine has been given the license to kill, as his quickfire knocks have propelled KKR to a strong start during their batting innings. Although last season’s discovery of Narine as an all-rounder gave them an extra edge, the dependency on his batting abilities looks to be increasing, revealing a chink in the Knight Riders’ armor.

While the KKR do bat deep, it wouldn’t hurt to have another proper batsman in their lineup, especially with Nitish Rana chipping in nicely with his contributions, both with bat and ball. Perhaps another U-19 star in Shubman Gill could be given a go. KKR don’t really have big names in the reserves, but they do have good youth options, and we would like to see the U-19 World Cup Player of the Tournament being given a chance at one of the biggest stages of this sport.