Kolkata Knight Riders have won two out of their five games so far in the IPL 2023. They started their campaign with a loss against Punjab Kings by seven runs but then went on to defeat Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Titans in the next two games.
Rinku Singh was the man of the moment for KKR against the Titans as he hit five consecutive sixes to walk the team over the line. The campaign has been derailed since that miraculous innings as they have lost the previous two games against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians.
In the last game against Mumbai Indians, KKR scored 185 runs for the loss of six wickets after batting first. Venkatesh Iyer scored a blistering knock of 104 runs off 51 deliveries, including nine sixes and six fours. He became only the second batter to score a century for KKR in IPL’s history. The bowlers failed to defend this significant total as MI won the game in 17.4 overs with five wickets in hand.
KKR Team Setup in IPL 2023
Shreyas Iyer was slated to miss a few games for the franchise, and hence, Nitish Rana was appointed as the interim captain. Iyer was later ruled out of the tournament altogether as he was required to undergo back surgery.
Shakib Al Hasan, who was picked in the mini-auction for his base price, also withdrew his name from the competition. English opener Jason Roy was roped in by the team as a replacement player.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Andre Russell, and Sunil Narine have played all five games for the franchise so far. The other overseas player slot has been filled by either Tim Southee or Lockie Ferguson for the team. Gurbaz has made 102 runs so far for the team at a strike rate of 117.24.
Narine has bowled some economical spells for the team and has picked six wickets at an average of 26.33. Russell has failed to live up to his reputation so far. Both Southee and Ferguson have also failed to do much for the team with the ball.
In the batting department, Nitish Rana, Venkatesh Iyer, and Rinku Singh have delivered some impressive numbers so far. Iyer is the only batter who has scored over 200 runs for the team so far. Rana and Rinku have made runs at a strike rate of over 140 and have played a key role in the middle order. Shardul Thakur has been exceptional with the bat as he has scored 101 runs at a strike rate of 198.03 but has failed to deliver with the ball.
KKR have relied on spinners more than pacers in the past, and the trend has continued this season as well. Varun Chakaravarthy is leading the bowling chart for the team with seven wickets at an average of 21.
The find of this season for the franchise has been the 19-year-old spinner, Suyash Sharma. Suyash was bought for his base price of INR 20 lakh and is the second-highest wicket-taker for the team, with six wickets at an average of 22.66. Suyash has been used as an impact player by the franchise alongside Venkatesh Iyer.
Important Upcoming Encounters for KKR
The next five games will be very crucial for KKR, considering they will decide their fate this season. KKR will hope to finish in the top four this season after missing the playoffs last year. In order to qualify for the next round, they will have to win their remaining home games. KKR will play two of their remaining five home games this month and must win those.
Can KKR Win IPL 2023?
There are plenty of gaps in the batting as well as bowling departments for the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise this season. Shreyas Iyer’s absence created a big hole in the middle order, but that has been filled by Rinku and Rana.
The opening slot was a concern for the team last season and has continued this year as well. They have managed to score runs at a run rate of 8.5 in the powerplay, which is the fourth-lowest among the ten teams.
The spinners have played a crucial role for the team this season, picking a total of 19 out of 25 wickets. But, the pace bowling attack has completely failed to live up to the mark. KKR has conceded runs at a run rate of 11.93 in the death overs this year, the second-highest among all ten teams. They have conceded over 200 runs in two out of five games.
The only win defending the total came against Royal Challengers Bangalore, in which the spin trio of Chakravarthy, Suyash, and Narine took nine out of ten wickets. They have some massive gaps this season, and winning the trophy with the same might be next to impossible for them.
About Author
