The Kolkata Knight Riders are riding on two consecutive victories, defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals after climbing the 2020 Indian Premier League points table. KKR suffered a strong 47-run loss in their first game against the Mumbai Indians , but found a way back to fashion in the next two games
KKR has improved their bowling since game one, with youngsters like Shivam Mavi and Kamlesh Nagarkoti picking up wickets. The addition of Varun Chakravarthy has eased the pressure on Kuldeep Yadav to pick terrains and KKR starter Shubman Gill has also found form.
But one thing that doesn’t seem to be working for KKR this season is the opening partnership between Sunil Narine and Gill. In a recent interaction on Sports Tak, former Indian cricketer Madan Lal said that Dinesh Karthik should open with Gill, rather than Narine.
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“Sunil Narine can’t play big hits right now. It would be better if Dinesh Karthik himself opens for Narine so that his batting order doesn’t go back that far, ”he said.
“I will not open with Sunil Narine. I’ll have a proper hitter with Shubman Gill because in the first 6 overs, even if a proper hitter comes along, they’ll score 50-60 runs.
“Dinesh Karthik has to start or needs to hit after Morgan and Russell. His team could suffer if he tries to hit over Morgan and Russell in the middle order, ”he added.
Shubman Gill plays a shot during the 2020 Indian Premier League cricket match against Rajasthan Royals. (PTI)
“The Kolkata Knight Riders have two or three very exciting youngsters on their team: Shubman Gill, Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi. Shubman Gill hasn’t been able to make great runs because he doesn’t have a good starter alongside him.
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“I realized that when Shubman Gill was hitting, he was playing units against Jofra Archer, who was pitching at 150 kph, with his front foot. Typically, hitters go defensive when faced with fast bowling.
“It shows that he is definitely a long-term prospect. I feel like we will hear a lot about him in the coming days and the Indian team is going to have a very good player, “said Madan Lal.
KKR will face Delhi Capitals on Saturday at IPL.
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