"How can you assume that he will do very well?" - Aakash Chopra on Sunil Narine's batting as KKR's potential weakness in IPL 2025

Aakash Chopra reckons one of the Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) potential weaknesses heading into IPL 2025 could be their assumption that Sunil Narine will fire with the bat. He pointed out that the spin-bowling all-rounder hasn't been among the runs since his exploits as an opener in IPL 2024.

With 488 runs at a strike rate of 180.74 in 14 innings, Narine was KKR's top run-scorer in IPL 2024. He formed a successful opening partnership with Phil Salt last season and will likely open with either Quinton de Kock or Rahmanullah Gurbaz in IPL 2025.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener wasn't too optimistic about Narine repeating his last season's performances with the bat for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the upcoming edition of the IPL.

"You are assuming that Sunil Narine will have a similar season as a batter. It's great if that happens, I will say sandesh, rasgulla, rasmalai, mishti doi, everything in his name, but what are the chances of it being like that - not very bright. I would say what happened last year was an aberration," he said (9:05).

"I am saying that because if you see the three seasons before that as a batter and his returns with the bat since the IPL until now, he has not scored the runs at all. So how can you assume that he will do very well? (Phil) Salt won't be there with him in any case," Chopra added.

Chopra noted that De Kock, who will potentially open with Narine, can be brilliant but is also inconsistent. He added that if the opening partnership is not good, KKR will miss Shreyas Iyer and Nitish Rana a little more.

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"They are inexperienced" - Aakash Chopra on KKR's fast-bowling issue

Harshit Rana is expected to lead KKR's seam attack in IPL 2025. [P/C: iplt20.com]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra opined that inexperience in seam bowling could be another of the Kolkata Knight Riders' weaknesses.

"The fast-bowling contingent has Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora and Spencer Johnson/Anrich Nortje. On the face of it, you feel it's okay, but they are inexperienced. Mitchell Starc was there last time. Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy had outstanding seasons last time but that doesn't happen every time," he said (8:20).

The former KKR player added that death bowling could be a potential concern for the three-time champions.

"In such a scenario, you need more workload from the fast bowlers, and I feel there is a slight inexperience there. Who will bowl at the death will be a question. Will everyone's form remain good will be a question. Spin is sorted but I see a slight lack of experience in fast bowling," Chopra observed.

Harshit Rana will likely be one of KKR's death bowlers. One among Anrich Nortje, Spencer Johnson and Andre Russell might bowl the final overs along with him.