Kolkata Knight Riders’s mentor Dwayne Bravo has admitted that the team’s failure with the bat has been the biggest factor in their gloomy show in the ongoing IPL. On Monday, KKR, who were outperformed by GT, suffered a devastating 39-run defeat. And the latest defeat was their third home loss of the season.
For GT, skipper Shubman Gill rocketed 90 runs while his opening partner Sai Sudharsan scored 52 to guide GT to a competitive total. In reply, KKR, who were unable to stitch partnerships, finished at 159/8 in 20 overs. Following the defeat, Dwayne Bravo also stated that “finishing” has been a major concern for them.
“It’s a concern. Definitely, those are things that are discussed. Obviously, you always try to back the players who have been there and done it before. They have had a lot of success in the past. There is a fine line between backing a player and trying to come up with the best combination. We can also try to make some changes, make some necessary adjustments to give the team that spark that is missing,” Bravo said while addressing reporters.
Bravo also defended Andre Russell for his ordinary performance this season. Russell has managed to gather 55 runs in eight games.
"Andre Russell is experienced. He is a successful player. Yes, in a couple of games, the leg-spinners got him out. But I don't think we as a team are batting properly. That is the reality. Russell is not the only one who is struggling at the moment. As a group, we have to make sure players keep preparing well. IPL is a tough tournament. If you don't start well, batsmen can go into a period where they lose confidence," Bravo said.