Struggling KKR, SRH look to reignite IPL campaign

Kolkata, April 2: Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders and last season’s finalists Sunrisers Hyderabad find themselves in troubled waters, having lost two of their last three games, and both teams will be desperate to revive their campaigns when they lock horns in the IPL here on Thursday.
KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane had initially downplayed concerns surrounding his team following a heavy defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the season opener, insisting there was “no need to panic”.
However, with two losses in three matches — considering KKR lost just three games across both home and away legs in their triumphant campaign in IPL 2024 — the mood in the camp is slightly muted.
Pitched battle
The focus has now shifted to the Eden Gardens pitch, which has come under scrutiny after KKR’s seven-wicket defeat to RCB.
Former KKR opener Phil Salt and Virat Kohli took the home attack to the cleaners, stitching a 95-run stand off just 51 balls in a one-sided chase of 175.
The Cricket Association of Bengal has been under pressure to produce a track that aids KKR’s spin-heavy attack, comprising Sunil Narine, Moeen Ali and Varun Chakravarthy.
Chakravarthy, fresh from his exploits in the Champions Trophy triumph last month, struggled on a flat deck against RCB, leaking 10.75 runs per over.
Indian great and Lucknow Super Giants mentor Zaheer Khan has also called for home advantage after Punjab Kings outplayed them at the Ekana stadium, criticising the pitch by saying, “It seemed PBKS’ curator was out here.”
Reports suggest the Eden Gardens pitch curator Sujan Mukherjee had declined KKR’s request for a spin-friendly track in their opening match, a decision that seemingly backfired.
Chakravarthy, one of their key spinners, leaked 45 runs in that match. While Mukherjee defended his stance, CAB president Snehasish Ganguly has since been closely inspecting the pitch alongside the curator, hinting at a possible shift in approach for KKR’s upcoming home matches.
Team strategy
Beyond the pitch, KKR’s squad composition has raised questions following the mega auction.Their batting and bowling units have looked out of sync, with key players failing to deliver.Notably, four players KKR released before the auction — former skipper Shreyas Iyer (PBKS), his deputy Nitish Rana (RR), Phil Salt (RCB), and pace spearhead Mitchell Starc (DC) — have all excelled in the first 10 days of the IPL.
Starc’s departure has particularly hurt KKR, as their pace attack appears toothless in his absence.
To compound the frustration, Starc registered a match-winning 5/35 for DC against SRH in their last outing — the Aussie’s first T20 five-wicket haul and the best bowling figures of the season so far.
Meanwhile, KKR’s big-money re-signing, Venkatesh Iyer, has managed just nine runs from two innings, adding to the team’s woes.
Among retained players, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Harshit Rana, and Ramandeep Singh have struggled to find their touch.