It might stun a few but Kolkata Knight Riders had won four out of their first five games in the Indian Premier League before collapsing spectacularly to miss out on a playoff berth.
Out of those matches in the initial run-in, there was a tie against Delhi Capitals as well. They arguably have the biggest match-winner in the tournament, an able leader, an excellent spin trio, and a fine core of batsmen.
Progressing to the playoffs should have been a piece of cake then, right? But Kolkata Knight Riders lost every bit of momentum they had built and slipshod decisions by the management, be it erring with personnel in the batting order or reading match situations, saw their season go on a freefall.
KKR’s lack of bench strength, as we had pointed out before the start of the season, was ruthlessly exposed. It was also the case with their bowling attack, which wilted towards the business end of the group stage. Experienced players failed to deliver and the pace attack was non-existent, barring a few above-average displays from Prasidh Krishna and Sandeep Warrier.
In the batting department, none of the players barring Andre Russell and Shubman Gill can go home with their head held high now that KKR’s season is done.
| Opposition | Scores | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | SRH: 181/3 [20] KKR 183/4 [19.4] | KKR won by 6 wickets |
| Kings XI Punjab | KKR: 218/4 [20] KXIP: 190/4 [20] | KKR won by 28 runs |
| Delhi Capitals | KKR: 185/8 [20] DC: 185/6 [20] | Match tied [DC won in Super Over] |
| Royal Challengers Bangalore | RCB: 205/6 [20] KKR: 206/5 [19.1] | KKR won by 5 wickets |
| Rajasthan Royals | RR: 139/3 [20] KKR: 140/2 [20] | KKR won by 8 wickets |
| Chennai Super Kings | KKR: 108/9 [20] CSK: 111/3 [17.2] | CSK won by 7 wickets |
| Delhi Capitals | KKR: 178/7 [20] DC: 180/3 [18.3] | DC won by 7 wickets |
| Chennai Super Kings | KKR: 161/8 [20] CSK: 162/5 [19.4] | CSK won by 7 wickets |
| Royal Challengers Bangalore | RCB: 213/4 [20] KKR: 203/5 [20] | RCB won by 10 runs |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | KKR: 159/8 [20] SRH: 161/1 [15] | SRH won by 9 wickets |
| Rajasthan Royals | KKR: 175/6 [20] RR: 177/7 [19.2] | RR won by 3 wickets |
| Mumbai Indians | KKR: 232/2 [20] MI: 198/7 [20] | KKR won by 34 runs |
| Kings XI Punjab | KXIP: 183/6 [20] KKR: 185/3 [18] | KKR won by 7 wickets |
| Mumbai Indians | KKR: 133/7 [20] MI: 134/1 [16.1] | MI won by 9 wickets |
What worked
Russell relished being one of the senior players in the side and despite the team finishing fifth, his efforts are not going to be forgotten in a hurry. Left-hander Nitish Rana was once again consistent with the bat, picking it up from where he left last season.
If at all there was any doubt about Gill’s abilities, that has been firmly put to rest now. The Punjab batsman was adept down the order, even helping his team close out a game against Sunrisers Hyderabad with a couple of big hits in the final over. However, he was even better when promoted up the order.
KKR’s success so far has been built on their top-order collectively delivering the goods. Barring a couple of knocks from Chris Lynn, KKR failed to look like a coherent batting unit. Veteran spinner Piyush Chawla was the pick of the bowlers, showing intelligence and a command over his craft in the powerplay overs.
What didn’t work
Across departments, KKR flattered only to deceive. Young Indian pacers Shivam Mavi, Kamlesh Nagarkoti and South African Anrich Nortje pulling out due to injury also left the two-time champions’ options threadbare.
A season ago, KKR pulled a rabbit out of the hat with their experiment to send off-spinner Sunil Narine as an opener alongside Lynn. The West Indies-Australia duo had ripped into many a bowling attack but by the time KKR realised that the duo weren’t clicking as a pair this season, it was too late. It might have been a different story had Gill been given a chance to impress at the top of the order earlier.
Opposition bowlers planned for Lynn and Narine better this season. In New Zealander Lockie Ferguson, KKR had just one established overseas player in the pace bowling department, and like many of his teammates, he too, failed to deliver. Moreover, using Russell as a floater in the batting order is an area that could have been handled better. There were matches when he came in too late to start one of his now trademark onslaughts.
It was a steep learning curve for Prasidh and Englishman Harry Gurney – neither of whom can boast of having broken doors down. As for the team’s form, well, no one comes back from losing six in a row. Royal Challengers Bangalore slumped to a 0-6 at the start of the season while KKR’s losing streak was mid-way through the season.
Player of the season
Almost a no-brainer here. Russell’s performances may well be one of the greatest in the tournament’s history. He had a part to play in each and every one of KKR’s six wins. It looked like the burly West Indian would stroll towards the year’s MVP awards. That, of course, was before the two-time champions’ campaign spiralled out of control.
Russell’s 510 runs came at an average of 56.66 and a colossal strike rate of 204.81. Russell battled through niggles: Whether it was after hitting a six, after a throw from the deep or finishing his run-up while bowling. None of that affected his performances. Skipper Karthik frequently acknowledged that his team was not building on Russell’s brilliance, a thought echoed by team owner Shahrukh Khan as well.
Disappointment of the season
One can pick out nearly half-a-dozen names here but wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav’s alarming loss of form takes the cake. It even forced the management to drop him for the final few games.
Yadav could not pick wickets and in what was a stark contrast to his wizardry in international cricket, he leaked runs too. KKR’s spin attack – which is rich in experience and ability – was handicapped as a result. Yadav’s tournament ended with RCB’s Moeen Ali clobbering him at Eden Gardens, an over that finished in tears for the 24-year-old.
India can only hope that Yadav’s loss of form is temporary with India’s World Cup opener against South Africa less than a month away.
Batting stats for key KKR players
| Player | Matches | Runs | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andre Russell | 14 | 510 | 59.66 |
| Chris Lynn | 13 | 405 | 31.15 |
| Nitish Rana | 14 | 344 | 34.40 |
| Shubman Gill | 14 | 296 | 32.88 |
| Dinesh Karthik | 14 | 253 | 31.62 |
Bowling stats for key KKR players
| Player | Matches | Wickets | Economy Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andre Russell | 14 | 11 | 9.51 |
| Sunil Narine | 12 | 10 | 7.82 |
| Piyush Chawla | 13 | 10 | 8.96 |
| Kuldeep Yadav | 9 | 4 | 8.66 |
Going forward
Unlike a RCB, KKR don’t need to tinker a lot with their batting order. Gill can only come back next year as a better batsman, and probably, with more international experience under his belt.
It was the experienced Indians who let the team down. Dinesh Karthik, barring an unbeaten 97 was below-par and laboured in most of the games. That can be said about veteran Robin Uthappa as well. It remains to be seen if KKR pick him next season. There is no question about his class and the way he times a cricket ball but he clearly struggled. And his tournament ended with a painstaking knock at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.
It would be interesting to see how pacer Sandeep Warrier performs with more game time under his belt; the Kerala pacer’s domestic career is on the rise. Who knows what the outcome would have been if Karthik had Mavi, Nagarkoti and Nortje to chose from. Look how RCB looked when pace ace Dale Steyn joined their ranks for a brief period.
Getting a good backup spinner to Chawla, Narine and Yadav should be something KKR needs to look at. A reliable top-order batsman and another all-rounder (No, the blow hot, blow cold nature of Carlos Brathwaite doesn’t cut it) will be welcome additions for next season.