The performance of the Kolkata Knight Riders has disappointed the fans so far this season. Their chances of making it to the play-offs are slim. They may win a few more matches, but not even the diehard KKR supporter would say that they are serious contenders. Three wins and five defeats — the numbers show how improbable their prospects of making progress are.
There are several reasons behind this. Improper squad selection, not having enough players who can make an impact, missing Shreyas Iyer due to injury, a rickety batting line-up, fast bowlers who are going for plenty — just some of those reasons. What also does not escape attention is the performance of two of their costlier buys. Andre Russell and Sunil Narine have both been well below par.
Russell, the Jamaican who has lit up T20 leagues around the world for a decade, was retained at a cost of Rs 12 crores. Narine, from Trinidad and Tobago, was paid Rs 6 crores. Both have been part of the KKR set-up for a long time. This year, they have not been able to deliver and this has severely dampened the team’s chances. They are not ordinary members of the team, but the expected to give the team direction. The team depends on them to deliver the telling performances, which they have in the past. That is where they have failed.
Sample this. Narine has taken six wickets in eight matches, and gone without a wicket in the last five outings. His economy rate is 8.89 runs per over. When he burst on to the scene, Narine took 67 wickets in three IPL seasons, leading KKR to glory in 2012 and 2014. In eight full seasons since, as the scrutiny over his action grew, he has managed 85 wickets.
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So far this season, even a rookie like Suyash Sharma is doing far better. This is not what you expect of your principal spinner. Expected to make a contribution with the bat on occasions, Narine has made 13 runs in seven innings with three ducks. It’s time for the team management to take a serious call.
Let us come to Russell, the murderer of bowlers in the past. In eight innings, he has made 108 runs and been dismissed for single-digit scores five times. Yes, there were three sixes in the last over against Delhi Capitals, but that was way too late. Did he make an impact? No. One could say he has taken a few wickets, but there again, his economy rate is 10.58. Russell is one of Kolkata’s main players. If he does not do well, the team suffers and that is what is happening.
So how are these T20 specialists from the West Indies helping KKR? Truth be told, and as seen from how they have fared so far, Russell and Narine have been two of the biggest underperformers for their team this season. Russell is clearly not fully fit, and Narine has lost his magic, those mystery balls. Time to bench them? It’s a tough decision to make, but something to be dwelt on.
It seems as if both are being named in the XI based on their past deeds. No doubt, they were once proven match-winners. Some scintillating performances came from them that will be archived. The question now is, can archival value be the benchmark for today’s selection policy? This is the question the KKR management have to answer. Time is running out.