IPL 2015: Underperformance by Indian batsmen proves costly for KKR

Negatives

The failure of the Indian uncapped players

A major letdown for KKR this IPL season was the performance of two of their uncapped players - Manish Pandey and Suryakumar Yadav.

Pandey, the hero of last year’s final, managed only 225 runs in 12 innings with a highest score of 40. With the openers not putting up consistent partnerships, the responsibility was on number 3 batsman Pandey to steady the innings, providing the platform for the pinch hitters to go for their strokes at the end of the innings.

The other uncapped player from whom much was expected was Yadav, who had a highest score of 46 in KKR’s opener against MI. Entrusted with the responsibility of the vice-captaincy, the Mumbai player scored only 157 runs in 13 innings failing to take responsibilty, instead allowing the situations to get the better of him.

His dismissal against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede where he was dismissed on the leg side with 22 needed in 18 deliveries reflected immaturity, when all he needed to do was stay at the crease and support Pathan, who was batting at the other end.

The failure of both the players often left Pathan and Russell under pressure at the fag end of the innings.

The failure of the openers to put up consistent partnerships

A major reason for the success of the team last year was Robin Uthappa, who had bagged the Orange Cap with 660 runs. Unable to replicate his performance this year and failing to provide the team with a solid opening partnership can be a major reason for the team failing to qualify for the final stages.

Unlike the consistent performances dished out by the opening pairs of Dwayne Smith and Brendan McCullum for CSK, David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan for SRH and Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli for RCB, the duo of Uthappa and Gambhir failed to notch up a single century stand with the highest partnership being 81 runs against Bangalore, with the average stand between them being 32 runs. Their failure coupled with the failure of Pandey and Yadav ultimately proved costly for the Knights.

Errors in team selection

By overanalysing the pitch and conditions on offer and not focusing on their strengths, KKR created possibly one of their biggest blunders in their last league game against RR. They dropped both Hogg and Narine, two of their most successful bowlers, for Azhar Mahmood as a result of the green tinge on offer at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. Mahmood eventually proved to be the weak link for the team as he gave away 41 runs from his 3 overs.

Azhar Mahmood was brought in for a crucial game against Rajasthan Royals

Given the continuous failure of Pandey and Yadav, the management missed a trick by not sending either Russel or Pathan at number 3 throughout the season.

The ploy to send Piyush Chawla at number 4 against the Delhi Daredevils backfired, but Gambhir’s intentions of sending in a left-hander to counter the leg spinners Imran Tahir and Amit Mishra can be considered a bold move.

Underutilising Ryan ten Doeschate, possibly one of the most consistent players in various T20 leagues all over the world, and dropping the in-form Morne Morkel also proved costly.

The way ahead for KKR

The Kolkata team had looked well on course for a play-off berth with destiny being in their hands till their last league game.

Although they were playing with the same team which had won the title last year, the Knights would do well to sort out some issues before next season.

The presence of a reliable Indian batsman

KKR have emphasised more on the presence of all-rounders in their side rather than stacking their team with specialists, especially in the batting department. While having all-rounders is a major advantage in the 20-over format, KKR would do well to have a specialist Indian batsman in their ranks that would play along with Pandey and Yadav, providing the platform for the likes of Russell to fire down the order.

An Indian seamer to partner Umesh Yadav

A major reason for KKR failing to qualify was the tactical error committed by Gambhir by giving Mahmood his first match of the season in a crucial encounter.

The move was prompted by the lack of an Indian seamer in the squad, having traded Vinay Kumar to MI this year. The lack of such a bowler forced KKR to drop Narine and Hogg as Mahmood filled up the fourth foreigner’s slot.

Looking back, KKR had a season with some incredible highs and a few lows which could have been overcome if the team had managed to hold their nerve in pressure situations.