KOLKATA: In a repeat of last year’s Indian Premier League (IPL) title clash, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will lock horns with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Eden Gardens here on Thursday. But it has been a harsh reality check for both sides after the IPL mega auction as they have failed to replicate last year’s success so far.
With two losses each in the first three games, KKR and SRH find themselves languishing at the bottom half of the points table. It’s still early days and there’s no immediate need to press the panic button, but both sides will be desperate to get their campaign back on track sooner than later.
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For that to happen, both teams need to get their opening acts right.
Much of KKR and SRH’s success in the last season can be attributed to their openers. The sides feature prominently among IPL’s all-time highest Powerplay scorers. While SRH occupy the top two slots, putting up 125/0 (vs DC in 2024) and 107/0 (vs LSG in 2024), KKR are third with a score of 105/0 vs RCB in 2017.
Gautam Gambhir pushing Sunil Narine up the order put the wind in KKR’s sails after they tried out as many as 14 different opening combinations across the 2022-23 seasons. After last year’s auction, though, KKR got a new opening duo, with Quinton de Kock replacing Phil Salt as Narine’s partner.
Although Narine got 44 in the first match and De Kock hit 97 in the team’s winning cause against Rajasthan Royals, KKR have failed to put their rivals under scoreboard pressure, with scores of 60/1, 40/0 and 41/4 in three games — the season’s lowest first-innings Powerplay scores.
Last year the KKR’s opening pair was so dominant and the middle-order so consistent that they didn’t have to rely on finishers in most of their matches. No wonder Knights’ rising star Rinku Singh got to play only 113 balls last season when KKR lost only thrice.
SRH began from where they left last year getting 94/1 in the Powerplay against Rajasthan Royals in their opening match at home. But since then, they have been left searching for that impactful start getting 62/2 and 58/4 in the next two games.
The Orange Army has also lost regular wickets (seven so far), much like KKR, who had lost five wickets in the first six overs, which halted their progress. Although Travis Head looked dangerous at times, youngster Abhishek Sharma is yet to fire.
With big-hitters like Ishan Kishan and Henrick Klaasen to follow, a brisk start can set the tone for SRH batters to take the game away from any opposition.
Poor bowling in Powerplay too
To make matters worse, both the sides have failed to make early inroads while bowling too. They have allowed their oppositions to get off the block fast and thus lost control of proceedings.
KKR bowlers have conceded 80, 54 and 65 runs while managing just two wickets in the first six overs, SRH bowlers too have proved expensive — giving away 77, 77 and 52 runs, claiming four wickets.
It’s time to get the right start in both the departments now.
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