Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra questioned Kolkata Knight Riders’ batting approach after they suffered a eight-wicket loss against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Monday.
After Hardik Pandya won the toss and decided to bowl first, KKR were skittled out for a paltry score of 116 runs. Chopra noted that the pitch was providing help to the bowlers but it was in no way a 116-run wicket.
KKR kept going hard throughout the innings despite losing wickets at regular intervals. Ashwani Kumar, the debutant, returned with impressive figures of 4-24 in the three overs he bowled. None of the KKR batters could breach the 30-run mark as they could not deliver as a unit.
“KKR, you started with a loss, then you got a win, and have been handed a loss again. KKR, are you taiyaar? Are teams trying too hard to hit consistently? Is the ghost of 250 causing problems? It’s worth asking because there was slight help on the pitch, but was the help that much? The help wasn’t that much for you to lose wickets one after the other,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.
After losing early wickets, KKR decided to use Manish Pandey as an impact substitute but still managed only 116 runs on the board.
“You feel you have the permission to run faster because of the Impact Player rule because Ramandeep was coming at No. 9. However, you aren’t able to play 20 overs despite Ramandeep coming at No. 9. If your innings gets folded up in 16 overs and you score 116 runs in total, it means you went too hard, too soon,” he observed.
On the other hand, the former KKR player said Mumbai Indians scouting team needs to be praised after Ashwani Kumar made an impressive debut despite almost no domestic experience.
“This team’s fast bowling is good. It looked better when Ashwani Kumar was seen. He did extremely well in the Sher-E-Punjab T20 Cup. He was part of the Punjab Kings as well, but now he is a part of the Mumbai Indians squad. The Mumbai Indians’ scouting will have to be praised,” he said in the same video.
Chopra questioned Hardik Pandya for not giving the fourth over to Ashwani Kumar as he had a chance to pick up a five-wicket haul.
“I felt you could have allowed him to take five wickets. He had picked up four wickets in three overs. He would have completed a five-wicket haul if you had given him his fourth over. Just think he would have got a five-wicket haul in his first match, but you didn’t. Careers get over and you don’t get a five-wicket haul,” Chopra observed.
Kolkata Knight Riders will next take on Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Thursday.
