The win, though by a narrow margin, in their opening game of the season against Sunrisers Hyderabad must have given Kolkata Knight Riders a confidence booster. However, death bowling and top-order batting remain areas of concern ahead of their away clash against an upbeat Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday.
The two aspects must have been taken up for discussion during the team meetings by captain Shreyas Iyer, mentor Gautam Gambhir and head coach Chandrakant Pandit.
On a ground where the side boundaries are quite smaller, things may get tougher for the KKR bowling attack, particularly against a batting line-up comprising Virat Kohli, captain Faf du Plessis, game-changers Glenn Maxwell and Cameron Green alongside finisher Dinesh Karthik.
Both Maxwell and Green haven’t been at their best yet in the competition. But at a ground like the Chinnaswamy, a player like Maxwell or Green can never be written off irrespective of their current form.
The Knights will certainly need their star bowler Mitchell Starc to get his lines and lengths right in the closing overs, something he had failed to do before a set Heinrich Klaasen last Saturday at Eden Gardens. Shreyas and Co. certainly cannot ask for anything better if the left-arm speedster can also negate the Kohli-Du Plessis opening combination by working up an extra bit of pace or slipping in one of his trademark yorkers.
Starc’s fellow pacer Harshit Rana fared well in their campaign opener. But that said, getting their spinners early and during the Powerplay is one gamble that the team management could think of.
Kohli, in rhythm following his crucial 49-ball 77 in RCB’s win over Punjab Kings, has had his problems against Sunil Narine in the past. The senior off-spinner’s length and variations can create doubts in the former captain’s mind.
Opener Phil Salt aside, others in the KKR top-five — including skipper Shreyas — need to get their shot selection right. For, it’s not possible for the likes of Rinku Singh and Andre Russell to bail the team out every time. The emergence of Ramandeep Singh as a dependable bat is a positive for the Knights.
Another key contest in the clash could be the one between Russell and Mohammed Siraj. Although Siraj is yet to trouble the explosive Jamaican all-rounder, his improved control and consistency may not make matters too easy for Russell.
In fact, in Chinnaswamy-like conditions, Siraj could be the best bet for RCB to keep Russell at bay.