IPL 2020 review: Lackluster Kolkata Knight Riders keep things for too late

Kolkata Knight Riders managed to finish in the fifth spot, as they won and lost seven each from 14. They are the former two-time champions of the tournament, while their last win came in 2014. All of their title wins have come under the leadership of Gautam Gambhir.

Ayush Gupta

UAE, First Published Nov 5, 2020, 2:13 PM IST

Former champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) seem to be repeating the same old mistakes over the seasons, as they yet again miss out on the playoffs berth in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020. Having won the title on previous two occasions, KKR are yet to win their third, since their last win in 2014.

The side was off to an inconsistent start this season, as they changed captain mid-way through. Although Eoin Morgan replaced Dinesh Karthik as the skipper, it barely made a difference. While they did make a remarkable comeback in their final league game, they left it for too late, as a better team eventually drubbed them of the playoffs spot.

The future for the side, in 2021, is up in the air. Nonetheless, we analyse their performance for the season in every department, as to what went wrong with them.

Batting: The one department where KKR lacked depth this season was undoubtedly the batting department. As specialised batsmen, KKR had just a couple of prominent names, Shubman Gill and Morgan. It was Gill, who had the best of the season, scoring 440 runs in 14 games at an average of 33.84, including three half-centuries. While Morgan finished second, uncapped Nitish Rana and Rahul Tripathi fired in late. However, Rinku Singh failed to fire, while fellow uncapped Siddhesh Lad did not get a game.
Top performers: Gill and Morgan.

All-rounders: The department had a couple of big names, but both failed to get going and flopped big time. Having the likes of Andre Russell and Sunil Narine was not enough, as both did have a way with the bat and the ball, but not consistent enough to see the side through. Russell failed massively with the bat, as there were hardly any sublime big ones from his willow, a thing that he is famous for since the past couple of seasons. Narine, too, did not have a good outing with the bat, mostly as an opener, while his bowling was highly inconsistent. Uncapped Australian Chris Green, too, played a game, but utterly disappointed with the ball.
Top performers: None.

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Wicketkeepers: A healthy department, with the likes of Karthik, along with Tim Seifert and Tom Banton. While Karthik played most of the games, he barely impressed with the bat, scoring just 169 runs in 14 games, at a low-grade average of 14.08. As for his wicketkeeping skills, it was not satisfactory too, as he finished as the fifth-best performer in the tournament, inflicting nine dismissals. Meanwhile, uncapped Nikhil Naik did not earn a game.
Top-performer: Karthik.

Spinners: Now, this is interesting. The department had just a big name in the form of India international Kuldeep Yadav. He did get to bowl in four innings, but could only manage a wicket. Nonetheless, it was uncapped Varun Chakravarthy, who outshined every spinner, as he finished as the side's highest wicket-take, claiming 17 from 13 at a smart economy of 6.84, including a five-for. While he is a candidate for the Emerging Player award, fellow uncapped Manimaran Siddharth did not earn a game.
Top performer: Chakravarthy.

Pacers: The pace department lacked a couple of names, in the form of overseas players Harry Gurney and Ali Khan, due to injury. Nevertheless, they continued to possess some handsome talents, in the way of uncapped Indians. The best performance came from Australia's Pat Cummins, who claimed 12 from 14 at an economy of 7.86, including a four-for. He was followed by uncapped Shivam Mavi, along with New Zealand's Lockie Ferguson. Although fellow uncapped Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Prasidh Krishna did get off to a flier, they could not maintain the momentum.
Top performers: Cummins, Mavi, Ferguson.

Fielding: This is one department where youngsters tend to excel. And, rightfully so, as Gill was the most active fielder for the side, claiming the most catches (7), while he, along with Mavi, had the best catch rate per match (0.50). Mavi and Nagarkoti claimed four each.
Top performer: Gill.

What could have they done better?
Batting: Unquestionably, this was the department which they lagged. Allowing Tripathi to open in the matches, instead of Narine, could have allowed them to get off to a good start. Also, Rinku and Lad could have been given more game time to prove their mettle.
All-rounders: Although KKR did not have much choice in the department, giving Green more chances could have helped.

Last Updated Nov 5, 2020, 2:13 PM IST

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IPL 2020 review: Lackluster Kolkata Knight Riders keep things for too late

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