NEW DELHI: Kolkata Knight Riders‘ (KKR) bowling coach Bharat Arun remains optimistic despite their opening match loss in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. As KKR prepares to face Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati on Wednesday, Arun emphasised that the team is not overly concerned about their defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and is focused on bouncing back.
Both KKR and Rajasthan Royals enter the match on the back of losses, with KKR suffering a seven-wicket defeat to RCB and Royals falling to Sunrisers Hyderabad by 44 runs. Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Arun highlighted the positives from KKR’s first game while acknowledging areas for improvement.
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“As a team, we are not too worried about it. It’s always good to win the first match, you gain the momentum. But there were a lot of positives from the first game, some lessons to be learnt from there,” Arun said.
Addressing concerns over KKR’s batting performance, particularly the modest contributions of star players Andre Russell and Rinku Singh, Arun remained confident in their abilities.
“Sport is about failing. You fail more often, then you succeed. Champions like Russell must have it weighing on their minds when they fail, but they are always out to prove themselves. We are hoping he will really come good in tomorrow’s game,” he stated.
Arun also backed Rinku Singh, citing his strong performances in pre-tournament matches.
Commenting on the competitive balance in the IPL, Arun observed, “Every team is batting well, getting and chasing 250-plus scores. You can’t say this team is better than the other. Every team is evenly balanced, both in batting and bowling.”
He stressed the importance of seizing crucial moments in matches. “Teams that snatch those crucial moments at any given point of time are going to win. How challenged you are to seize those key moments is what matters.”
On KKR’s strategic approach, Arun emphasised a team-oriented mindset. “All teams have some really fantastic batters. There is no point in targeting one player; we have to look at the whole team and devise a strategy accordingly. Our game plan is to win.”
Regarding the match venue, the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, Arun expressed optimism about the playing conditions. “We have not had a look at the wicket yet, but it seems good. The conditions are excellent, and the outfield looks really good for us. We hope to have a very good contest,” he concluded.
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