IPL 2019: Report Card at the halfway stage of the tournament

#5 Kolkata Knight Riders: 6.5/10

Words can't comprehend this man's impact in IPL 2019.

Everyone knows the medieval tales of brave knights in shining armour. This man has saved his team from defeat in almost every match. It could even be said that he can be the most valuable player ever in IPL history with 302 runs and 6 wickets in seven matches. As long as he took the team over the line, no one complained. However, two back-to-back losses have exposed the chinks in KKR's armour.

Barring Robin Uthappa and Nitish Rana, the batting has looked shaky. Karthik's captainship has been ordinary and the fielding unit has performed below par. Their failure to defend totals points to the fragility of their bowling squad. That Russell himself leads the wicket charts too, paints a painful picture of dependency.

Their frontline pacers should step up to aid Kuldeep Yadav and Narine who have taken 3 wickets apiece with decent economies. Karthik needs to be more proactive regarding his batting and on-field decisions. Now that their shortcomings have been brazenly exposed, KKR has very little time to find their answers.

The team surely has the calibre to reach the playoffs judging from their initial form. However, the changes required here are numerous, and a team like Delhi or Punjab could edge them to the eliminators. That would be the highest injustice to Russell and the team has the obligation to elevate their performance to ensure it does not happen.

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