Bengaluru Knight Riders: Why Do They Need to Make a Big Change Right Away to Win the IPL 2024?

The Kolkata Knight Riders were ecstatic to get two points going into their matchup with the Punjab Kings.

Positive vibes emanated from the crowded Eden Gardens as they supported the Knights against a weakened Punjab team that was sagging so low. However, what we saw on Friday was an extreme anticlimax.

KKR scored an incredible 261 runs in the innings. As Sunil Narine and Phil Salt carried on with their exciting journey, it seemed that a victory was just theoretical at this point. However, Kolkata was treated to a horrifying spectacle as the Kings of Punjab destroyed the poor KKR bowlers and chased down the highest-ever score in T20 cricket history.

After Prabhsimran was destroyed early on, Jonny Bairstow made a century, and then Shashank Singh once again rose to the occasion like a gladiator. The Punjab bats achieved the massive goal with more than an over remaining, hitting a total of 24 sixes.

As we can see from the chart, the system doesn’t provide much information. With 10 points from eight games, KKR is now ranked second. Even with the victory, Punjab is still a long way from making the playoffs as they are now ranked seventh with six points from nine games. However, the impact of KKR’s loss on Friday goes well beyond the standings.

KKR: A Bowling Disaster
Their bowling was always a source of pride for KKR. During the Gautam Gambhir era, spin was dominant, with Sunil Narine serving as the center of a chokehold that tortured several opponents. However, the old guard has crumbled, leaving only veteran captain Sunil Narine and his feeble troops in tow.

This season, KKR’s bowling has been terrible. The multimillionaire Mitchell Starc has not impressed, and there has been stark inconsistency from the likes of Varun Chakravarthy and others. Once again, it was evident as Punjab destroyed the bowlers and showed no signs of resistance.

During the powerplay in KKR’s previous three home games, they have given up 76, 74, and 93 runs. All the other bowlers, save from Sunil Narine, have been very disciplined and have not altered their approach despite being extremely costly. The Impact Player rule and the batting mentality are factors, but the bowlers for the Kolkata Knight Riders and their inept bowling must take the lion’s share of the responsibility.

The Only KKR Bright Spark, Sunil Narine
With a bat or a ball, Sunil Narine seems to be KKR’s lone glimmer of hope. The seasoned player is racking up runs and taking wickets, but he has no bowling partner.

Analyzing a basic statistic might be beneficial. Narine took a wicket and gave up 24 runs in his 4 overs against Punjab Kings. Along with scoring 71 runs off of only 32 balls with the bat, he also forced a run-out with a straight throw. Despite some of the KKR players’ outstanding batting, the other bowlers let up 236 runs in 14.4 overs at an average economy of 16.09!

The sides now have a definite plan in place to repel Sunil Narine before going all out against the other bowlers. And the strategy is working so far. Using the similar tactic, Jos Buttler gave Rajasthan a thrilling victory. RCB almost missed out on yet another fantastic triumph. However, Punjab Kings eclipsed everything and revealed the KKR bowling unit’s frail endoskeleton.

In their previous three games, the alarmingly defensive Kolkata Knight Riders have scored 222, 223 and 261 runs. They have lost two of those games and have only won one, against RCB by a single run.

These figures are quite concerning even if batting ability in the IPL this season has peaked. Even though they have been scoring more than 11 runs per over on these occasions, Kolkata’s poor bowling performance has hampered their momentum and might cost them in the end.

Weak bowling has never won a title for a team. To strengthen their chances of winning the championship, KKR mentor Gautam Gambhir, head coach Chandrakant Pandit, and other staff members must quickly find a cure for this sickness. The odds are quite poor if they continue to leak runs in this manner.

It is really concerning the way the bowlers have given up runs in the previous three games. If a significant adjustment is not made soon, KKR’s trophy drought might last for ten years.