Published 22:10 IST, May 22nd 2023
'They have solid batting lineup': Former India player lauds KKR despite dismal IPL season
KKR at one point looked like one of the contenders for playoffs but some shoddy game deepened their crisis and they could only rectify their mistakes next time.
Kolkata Knight Riders succumbed to their eighth loss. They lost to Lucknow Super Giants in a crucial tie. Rinku Singh’s heroics almost got them to the finishing line, but LSG held their nerve and snatched a victory to qualify for the playoffs. Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra dissected KKR’s season as he pointed out several things which, according to him, were pivotal in their disappointing season.
KKR at one point looked like a contender for the last four. But some shoddy game deepened their crisis and they could only rectify their mistakes in the next season as they crashed out of the cash-rich tournament. The team’s over-reliance on Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, and Sunil Narine proved to be a major reason behind their debacle as, barring Rinku, none of the players performed to their potential.
Aakash Chopra provided his verdict on KKR's issue
Aakash claimed the Indian core batting lineup was good for KKR, but letting go of Shubman Gill was a blunder. Gill is leading the Gujarat Titans' charge, and the defending champions look menacing with each passing game.
"KKR as a team grew on you as the tournament progressed…of course, they haven’t qualified but there’s plenty to like. In Nitish, Rinku, and Iyer (with Shreyas to join) they have a solid Indian batting lineup. In Varun-Suyash they have two good Indian spinners. Harshit-Vaibhav has a solid upside too.
KKR as a team grew on you as the tournament progressed…of course, they haven’t qualified but there’s plenty to like. In Nitish, Rinku, Iyer (with Shreyas to join) they have a solid Indian batting lineup. In Varun-Suyash they have two good Indian spinners. Harshit-Vaibhav have a…
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) May 22, 2023
"Their overseas contingent might need a reboot…but that’s an easier problem to solve. Letting go of Gill was a blunder (said it back then too)…but next couple of seasons could be their years."
KKR IPL 2023 squad
Nitish Rana (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Shardul Thakur, Lockie Ferguson, Umesh Yadav, Tim Southee, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy, Anukul Roy, Rinku Singh, N. Jagadeesan, Vaibhav Arora, Suyash Sharma, David Wiese, Kulwant Khejroliya, Mandeep Singh, Jason Roy (replacement).
Ruled out: Shreyas Iyer
Withdrew: Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das
Updated 22:10 IST, May 22nd 2023