Kolkata Knight Riders will hope that their batting implosion against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede was a one-off. But if one scrutinises closely, the way their batsmen struggled against extra bounce and movement could be a cause for concern.
Have MI provided the pitch template to tame the defending IPL champions? Will other teams take a leaf out of the Wankhede playbook in their home fixtures against KKR? And, though it’s still early in the season, is KKR head coach Chandrakant Pandit searching for support without Gautam Gambhir by his side?
Speaking to RevSportz during the MI vs KKR game on Monday, former India opener and Bengal legend Arun Lal downplayed KKR’s batting collapse and strongly backed Pandit. Excerpts:
On KKR’s struggles against movement:
Q: KKR’s batting line-up is packed with power-hitters. But does it inspire confidence when the ball deviates—whether through seam, swing, or spin?
A: In T20 cricket, no batting side can inspire confidence if the bowlers are getting assistance. Nobody. The game today is all about scoring 230 runs, only for the other team to chase it down. It’s all about six-hitting, 12 runs an over, 20 runs an over. Personally, I find that boring. That’s just my view, not saying it’s right or wrong. I prefer a 160-run total with a tough battle, so there’s something in it for the bowlers. They shouldn’t be limited to just slower balls, yorkers, and variations. They should be able to move the ball, spin it—that’s when I enjoy the game.
Q: Watching the match, it felt like MI might have provided the pitch blueprint for other teams hosting KKR. The Wankhede track had a bit of grass, and KKR’s batting looked lost against the movement.
A: When the ball is moving, the whole world looks clueless—not just KKR. I don’t know any batsman who thrives against movement. Especially in T20s, the mindset in the first six overs is to go all out and get 60. But when the ball moves, that approach backfires, leading to a collapse.
🚨 Arun Lal Exclusive On the heels of #KKR‘s heavy defeat against MI, former India opener and ex-Bengal Ranji Trophy coach speaks about home advantage, pitch template and Chandrakant Pandit as a coach.@shamik100 @ShrachiSports @BoriaMajumdar @Rokte_Amarr_KKR #MIvsKKR #Ipl2025 pic.twitter.com/xCISq6LUgC
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) April 1, 2025
On Chandrakant Pandit’s role:
Q: Pandit has been highly successful in the Ranji Trophy. But in IPL 2023, KKR struggled under his coaching. They won the title last year with Gautam Gambhir in the think-tank. Now, three games into the season, do you think Pandit is limited without Gambhir’s presence?
A: Listen, he’s won an IPL, hasn’t he? He’s also won Ranji Trophies.
Q: Yes, but Gambhir was a key figure when they won the IPL.
A: So what? He is still the coach, isn’t he? The coach takes the credit. He is the ultimate authority. The buck stops there.
Q: But Gambhir was given most of the credit.
A: Who decides credit? Ultimately, it means little. The captain and the coach form 90% of the team. So, they get both the credit and the criticism.
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On home advantage in IPL
Q: Are you in favour of home advantage in the IPL?
A: Home advantage is an integral part of the game. You don’t want identical wickets in Australia, England, and India—or even the same surfaces in Bangalore and Kolkata. Each venue should offer something different. Within reason, home teams should be able to create conditions that suit them. That doesn’t mean producing underprepared wickets, as that would be detrimental. The challenge is defining “within reason.” When I coached Bengal, we wanted wickets with pace and movement because we had top-quality fast bowlers.
Q: And Sujan Mukherjee (Eden Gardens curator) always obliged?
A: Of course, within reason.
Q: But in T20 cricket, isn’t home advantage an oxymoron? The nature of the pitch doesn’t change much in 40 overs.
A: To an extent, yes. But you can still tweak conditions—like keeping a slightly slower track—without making it a bad wicket.
Q: Should Sujan Mukherjee consider Ajinkya Rahane’s request for more turn in the pitch against Sunrisers Hyderabad?
A: I don’t know what “a little more turn” means, but I believe the captain, coach, association, and curator must sit together and devise a strategy that benefits both the home team and the game as a whole.
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