Rahane's Strategy Fails: 'Who is Your Key Player?' Asked After GT Defeat
10 days ago | 5 Views
Gautam Gambhir has consistently favored the traditional strategy of employing a left-right batting combination. He has implemented this approach numerous times in India's white-ball cricket since taking on the role of head coach and reintroduced it during his return to the Kolkata Knight Riders as a mentor last IPL season. Although he departed after a successful tenure last May, KKR continued to adhere to this strategy for IPL 2025.
However, former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif expressed concerns that their strategy has unraveled this season. Kaif criticized the KKR management for their insistence on maintaining the left-right combination in the current season, highlighting that Rinku Singh, a left-handed batsman who excelled as a finisher last season, batted at No. 8 against the Lucknow Super Giants earlier this month.
He urged the Ajinkya Rahane-led team to identify their key player and clarify the roles of their batsmen. Kaif remarked, 'There is an old saying that a lefty-righty combination is essential at the crease. Today, KKR attempted to uphold that, but as a result, their key player was not promoted in the batting order. It is crucial to determine who the main player is in this KKR lineup.
Is it Rinku, Russell, Iyer, or Moeen Ali? Who is it, and what are their roles? The insistence on the left-right combination has led to any batsman coming in at any position. Rinku batted at No. 8 against Lucknow solely due to this left-right strategy, despite KKR losing the match by a mere four runs, and he hardly faced any deliveries.
This approach is not yielding results for KKR.' The seasoned cricketer further suggested that KKR should utilize their power hitters earlier in the innings and avoid the struggles exhibited by Rahane and Venkatesh Iyer against the Gujarat Titans in Kolkata, where they managed only 41 runs off 36 balls in their third-wicket partnership before both were dismissed in quick succession. 'In the case of significant chases, they should send their big hitters in early and allow them to play their natural game.'
