"There could be one problem for sure" - Aakash Chopra on KKR's issues heading into IPL 2024 Qualifier 1 vs SRH

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will face the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL 2024 Qualifier 1 in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, May 21. Ahead of the game, Aakash Chopra has pointed out a few problems that could bother two-time champions Kolkata.

With 20 points from 14 games, KKR finished atop the IPL 2024 points table. However, they will be without their second-highest run-scorer Phil Salt in the playoffs, as he has returned to England for their T20I series against Pakistan.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra opined that Salt's absence could be KKR's biggest concern.

"There could be one problem for sure. This season, Phil Salt had a massive contribution in this team's success. The starts he used to give with Sunil Narine suddenly put the opposing team on the back foot and they used to find it very difficult to emerge from that many times. However, Phil Salt isn't there now," he explained (1:35).

However, he acknowledged that Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who will potentially replace Salt at the top of the order, should be familiar with the conditions at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

"Rahmanullah Gurbaz is there in place of him. The thing that goes in Rahmanullah Gurbaz's favor is that he used to be a part of the Gujarat Titans at one point. So he has played earlier at this ground and on these pitches although he didn't get too many chances when he was with Gujarat," Chopra observed.

Chopra noted that Gurbaz shouldn't face much difficulty in Ahmedabad as he would have practiced a lot on the outside pitches. He added that the Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batter should, in any case, be accustomed to playing on subcontinental pitches.

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"The second problem is that Shreyas Iyer hasn't scored that many runs this year" - Aakash Chopra on KKR's other concerns

Shreyas Iyer is KKR's third-highest run-scorer in IPL 2024. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra reckons Shreyas Iyer's slightly underwhelming performances in IPL 2024 could be another issue for the Kolkata Knight Riders.

"The second problem is that Shreyas Iyer hasn't scored that many runs this year. He has played a slightly anchor-type role whereas all players around him come like rocket launchers. He even said that he has an anchor's role this time. So he is anchoring but the season hasn't been the way you expect it to be," he said (2:25).

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Rinku Singh's lack of runs and opportunities and Mitchell Starc's middling performances might also be bothering KKR.

"However, despite that, his team has reached so far. The third problem is that Rinku Singh has neither scored many runs nor got many opportunities. Other than that, Mitchell Starc's form has been 50-50," Chopra noted.

While Shreyas has amassed 287 at an average of 31.89 in 12 innings, Rinku has averaged 18.67 while scoring 168 runs in 11 knocks. Starc has picked up 12 wickets in 11 innings but has conceded an average of 11.36 runs per over.