IPL 2020, KKR vs SRH: 3 tactical mistakes that were made during the game

Match 8 of the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2020) saw the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) defeat the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by 7 wickets to register their first win in the tournament.

Riding on the back of calm innings from Shubman Gill and Eoin Morgan, KKR overhauled SRH's score of 142 quite comfortably. Pat Cummins and Varun Chakravarthy were good with the ball in hand for KKR, who put in a complete performance.

Here are 3 tactical mistakes that were made during the KKR vs SRH IPL 2020 game.

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#3 SRH didn't attack enough with Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan hasn't picked up too many wickets recently [PC: iplt20.com]

Defending only 142, SRH needed to pick up wickets right from the outset. After a disappointing powerplay which saw KKR score 52 runs, Rashid Khan was brought into the attack.

Over the past few IPL games, opposition teams have been content to knock Rashid around for singles and doubles, thereby nullifying his wicket-taking threat and putting the pressure on the other bowlers. KKR too adopted the same policy, and David Warner didn't attack enough with his best bowler.

Although the Afghanistan captain picked up the wicket of Dinesh Karthik, Shubman Gill and Eoin Morgan easily milked him for runs while rotating the strike effectively. This lack of aggression from the SRH captain meant that KKR were able to get close to the target without taking too many risks.

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#2 SRH didn't use Mohammad Nabi in the powerplay

Mohammad Nabi adds balance to the team, but his biggest strength is powerplay bowling

Mohammad Nabi was one of three changes that SRH made coming into this game, but he didn't get any overs in the powerplay. The all-rounder's biggest strength with the ball is his wicket-taking ability early on in the innings, but Warner chose to use Khaleel Ahmed for three of the six powerplay overs.

This meant that when Nabi did come in to bowl, the field restrictions were lifted, and with the required run rate still well within reach, KKR were able to play risk-free cricket.

As mentioned earlier, KKR scored 52 runs in the powerplay, and had Nabi bowled with the new ball, that number might have been far less.

Check the yesterday IPL match result here.

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#1 SRH played Wriddhiman Saha at No. 4

Saha at No. 4 isn't the right way to go for SRH [PC: iplt20.com]

Wriddhiman Saha stepped in for the injured Vijay Shankar in this game, and was sent in at No. 4 after the loss of Jonny Bairstow and David Warner. The wicket-keeper isn't the best man to be batting in the absence of field restrictions, and this was prominently on display today.

Saha scored 30 off 31 balls, and found the boundary only twice, both in unconvincing fashion. His range of strokes is slightly limited, and he isn't really known for his ability to clear the boundaries either.

SRH could consider replacing Saha with someone like Abdul Samad or Virat Singh, who are both more aggressive options. This is even more crucial when you consider that Priyam Garg, who is also a relatively sedate batsman, is part of the middle order as well.