IPL 2022: How the cookie crumbled for KKR

Chopping and changing

After the win against Mumbai Indians in their second-leg fixture, KKR captain Shreyas Iyer was asked about the constant chopping and changing in the playing eleven. Shreyas’ comment about the CEO’s involvement in team selection was enough to raise many an eyebrow. Later, the skipper tried damage control.

Five different opening combinations in the first 11 matches attested uncertainty. Ajinkya Rahane, Venkatesh Iyer, Aaron Finch, Sunil Narine and Sam Billings – all opened for KKR, at the expense of stability. “The chopping and changing nature isn’t ideal, but that happens when you aren’t winning a lot of games,” KKR fast bowler Tim Southee had said at a post-match press conference. This seriously affected their Powerplay batting – their run-rate of 6.53 after 11 games was the lowest among all teams in the first six overs. “… the Powerplay, we have been a little stuck,” KKR head coach Brendon McCullum admitted. Also, it took his side 12 games to stitch their first 50-plus opening stand. Successful teams revel in continuity, but KKR kept it at arm’s length and paid the price.

WHAT. A. GAME !!@LucknowIPL clinch a thriller by 2 runs.

Scorecard – https://t.co/NbhFO1ozC7 #KKRvLSG #TATAIPL pic.twitter.com/7AkXzwfeYk

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 18, 2022

Over-reliance on individuals

KKR broke the bank for Shreyas Iyer (Rs 12.25 crore) at the auction to add stardust and a proven performer in their top order. He was instantly made the captain, but as it turned out, Shreyas failed to provide the required impact. He finished as the team’s top scorer with 401 runs from 14 games, but Shreyas was expected to do what Jos Buttler and KL Rahul did for Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants respectively. Bereft of a top-order x-factor, KKR batting became over-reliant on Andre Russell’s power-hitting – Nitish Rana with 361 runs deserves an honourable mention. The Jamaican scored 335 runs at a strike rate of 174.47, but on several occasions he played lone rangers. KKR’s first-leg match against Super Giants was a case in point, with Russell scoring 45 off 19 balls and his team folding up for 101.

Bereft of a top-order x-factor, KKR batting became over-reliant on Andre Russell’s power-hitting. (Twitter/Kolkata Knight Riders)

Even in bowling, there was an over-dependence on Narine despite Umesh Yadav, Southee and Russell contributing well. Batting or bowling, KKR failed to perform as a team.

Off form

Venkatesh was at the forefront of KKR’s resurrection last year during the second phase of the tournament. His exploits as a KKR opener took him to the Indian white-ball team. The southpaw is seemingly affected by the second season blues, with just 132 runs from nine matches before he was dropped. He came back to score 43 off 24 balls against MI, but it was too late. Venkatesh couldn’t get going as an opener. The team management tried him in the middle-order also – it wasn’t a case of acting in haste. Unlike last year, Venkatesh didn’t play fearless cricket.

Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, too, was one of KKR’s retainees ahead of the season. Bowling on tacky and sluggish UAE pitches, Varun had spun a web around the opposition batsmen in the last year’s IPL. Bowling in tandem with Narine, he offered the spin-choke in the middle-overs, which wooed the national selectors enough to pick him for the T20 World Cup. Then, in India’s first match of the tournament, Pakistan’s Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan unlocked Varun’s secret; by reading him off the hand, using their feet followed by sweeping with aplomb. They set the template to counter the spinner’s mystery. In this year’s IPL, Varun took four wickets in eight games at an economy rate of 8.82 before losing his place in the team. He was brought back but didn’t prove to be very effective.

Venkatesh couldn’t get going as an opener. The team management tried him in the middle-order also – it wasn’t a case of acting in haste. Unlike last year, Venkatesh didn’t play fearless cricket. (Photo by Deepak Malik / Sportzpics for IPL)

Dropping Pat Cummins was probably KKR’s biggest mistake. Yes, the team’s Rs 7.25-crore buy took just four wickets and leaked runs before being sent to warm the bench. But the team management fell for a recency bias, ignoring his class. Little wonder then that former India coach Ravi Shastri made his displeasure felt, as Cummins bounced out the MI batsmen for fun in his comeback game. Eventually, a hip injury ruled the fast bowler out of the tournament.

On-field leadership

Shreyas is a young captain with good captaincy potential, but strong leadership is about dealing with reverses. Eoin Morgan showed it last year despite going through a lean patch with the bat. To a large extent, KKR’s fightback last season was down to their former captain, who instilled belief. Morgan is a seasoned, World Cup-winning skipper. Shreyas, on the other hand, is learning on the job. And the team’s inconsistency calls the support around him, from the dug-out, into question.

Shreyas is a young captain with good captaincy potential, but strong leadership is about dealing with reverses. (Photo by Deepak Malik / Sportzpics for IPL)

Also, CEO’s involvement in team selection begs the question; whether Shreyas was given enough authority to be his own man.

Auction strategy

With the advantage of hindsight, KKR made a mistake by spending Rs 1 crore and Rs 1.5 crore for Rahane and Alex Hales at the auction. Rahane last played for India in the shortest format six years ago and the Indian cricket accepted the fact that limited-overs cricket has passed him by. Bringing him on for Shubman Gill was a wrong choice. Hales withdrew from the IPL citing bubble fatigue and KKR replaced him with Finch. The team management missed a trick by not going big for David Warner at the auction, who was a free agent. Delhi Capitals forked out Rs 6.25 crore for the Australian, as KKR were caught in an opening quagmire.