IPL 7: 5-point mantra to success for Kolkata Knight Riders

Shah Rukh Khan and Co. is used to making whopping profits during every IPL season. In fact, with a brand value of $44.98 million, KKR ranks second among the IPL franchises, just behind Chennai Super Kings ($45.98m). A great chunk of these profits, however, has come from various sponsorship deals and sale of tickets; the on-field showing has been inconsistent, after all.Already hampered by the scheduling of fewer home matches this season, the franchise owners would expect the KKR outfit to concentrate on what is in their hands and produce better results. They have certainly done their job by putting together a balanced side. The onus is on the players to justify the franchises faith.KKRs biggest nemesis in the last six seasons has been their batting, especially the lack of firepower at the death. As far as their bowling is concerned, they have the attack to deliver in varied conditions. The teams think tank would be intent on getting the loopholes plugged early in the season. If KKR are to repeat their feat of 2012, the team management must pay heed to these dos and don'ts:

#5 Dont slate Kallis at No.3/4

One of the highly blatant errors committed by KKR last season was slating Jacques Kallis to bat at No.3. In the 16 innings that he played in IPL 6, he could manage merely 311 runs at 20.73. What hurt KKR more was the way he got his runs: at a paltry strike rate of 96.58. Without an iota of doubt, inability to score at run-a-ball is unbecoming for a top-order T20 batsman, something that Kallis won’t be proud of.

That said, the team management should have been aware of Kallis’ limitations as a limited overs bat. This season, at least, Kallis should be utilized either as an opener alongside Gautam Gambhir or must function purely as a bowler who bats a bit in the lower order.

While batting at No. 3/4, Kallis’ turns into a liability for a side like KKR whose openers (Gautam Gambhir and Manvinder Bisla) themselves don’t strike over 120. Taking the role of a stabiliser at such a crucial position, he deprives his side of any momentum created by the opening pair.

An apt example of the stated deficiency on part of Kallis was on exhibition in Chennai last year. While chasing an imposing total of 200 runs, KKR had got off to a flying start, with the score stood at 63/2 in the 6th over when Kallis walked in. He scored 19 runs off 20 balls only to see the team score crawl to 99/3. Subsequently, he got out in the 12th over. CSK, eventually, won the match by 14 runs.

#4 Show some intent in the first over

This is a common mistake that most teams make, especially while batting first. During the telecast of the recently concluded World T20, the commentators continually touched upon the fact that the first over of a T20 innings, on average, is the least productive over, from the batting side’s perspective.

Hence, more often than not, it has been observed that the fielding team’s skipper uses this opportunity to sneak in an over of a part-timer. Gautam Gambhir and his opening partner must ensure that they get on top of such bowlers. Taking the aerial route isn’t the worst option given the fielding restrictions in place.

Showing intent early on is critical in a T20 scenario, as it goes without saying that fortunes fluctuate speedily in this format. At the same time, gifting their wickets to part-timers won’t do them any good. So they better retain some sense while throwing their willows around.

#3 License Yusuf Pathan to be ruthless

KKR have always lacked the X-factor in their middle order. Yusuf Pathan is certainly there, but does he have a definite role in the team? His 3-year stint at KKR has been nothing short of disappointing for me in person. Yusuf the Knight Rider, as Harsha Bhogle puts it, has always been “potentially dangerous.”

I was thrilled to watch his fearless, freewheeling approach as a Royals player: qualities rare in an Indian breed. At KKR, however, he has been trying to bat ‘responsibly'. In the last three seasons, he has compiled 809 runs at 26.09, striking at around 130. Statistics look decent, but are they worth $2.1 million (Yusuf was bought in 2011 by KKR for $2.1 million)? No way, for sure!

Yusuf is the kind of player who can send shockwaves down the spines of the opposition bowlers. KKR must grant him the license to bat with a devil-may-care attitude. Other batsman, obviously, can bat around him. Australia did that with Glenn Maxwell in the World T20, and the results are there for everyone to see.

#2 Umesh Yadav at the death is a BIG NO-NO

Banking excessively on Umesh Yadav’s raw pace could work both ways for skipper Gautam Gambhir. The discernable drawback with Yadav is his inconsistency with lines and lengths. When he settles into a rhythm, he becomes unplayable with his sharp outswingers (for the right-handers); when he doesn’t, he can be a captain’s nightmare.

Gambhir will have to be extremely prudent with the usage of Yadav. He can perhaps use him as an attacking option in the powerplay and bowl him out before the 15th over. Given his inability to hit the block hole coupled with the lack of variations in his bowling, bowling him at the death is akin to playing with fire.

Gambhir certainly has class acts in Sunil Narine and Patrick Cummins to deal with the slog overs; hence, there is no point in gambling with Yadav just for the sake of pace.

#1 Dont let the batting order be top-heavy

The expert belief that the best batsmen of a side should get to bat the most number of overs is fraught with immense risk. KKR shouldn’t commit the mistake of being top-heavy. This faulty tactic made Delhi Daredevils pay dearly last season and has been costing RCB for the last three seasons or so.

This debate rises because of the presence of too many openers in the KKR squad. They have three quality top-order bats in Gautam Gambhir, Manvinder Bisla and, their brand new acquisition, Robin Uthappa. While the former two are suited to open the innings, the latter is a proven match-winner at No. 5/6.

Uthappa may have turned over a new leaf as an opener for Karnataka, but there’s no denying that he is at his explosive best while finishing an innings: a skill that he displayed to perfection during his stint with RCB. The memories of him strolling down the wicket to fast bowlers and smashing them over the cow-corner are still afresh.

Pairing up Uthappa with the equally devastating Australian all-rounder, Chris Lynn, would transmute KKR into an intimidating force.