Captain Rana Takes Responsibility: KKR's Defeat vs. GT Blamed on Batsmen
After Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) defeat against Gujarat Titans (GT) in IPL 2023, captain Nitish Rana demonstrated sportsmanship by taking responsibility for the loss and holding the team's batsmen accountable.
With the momentum from a confident 21-run win over Royal Challengers Bangalore at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Kolkata Knight Riders entered Saturday's IPL 2023 clash against Gujarat Titans at Eden Gardens with high hopes.
However, the Kolkata Knight Riders' optimism quickly dissipated as they suffered a comprehensive seven-wicket defeat against Gujarat Titans. Despite notable contributions with the bat, such as Rahmanullah Gurbaz's breathtaking 81 off just 39 balls and Andre Russell's quickfire 34 off 19 balls, it wasn't enough to secure victory for the team.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) experienced their sixth defeat of the season as they faltered in defending a target of 180 in a home game against Gujarat Titans (GT). Opting to bat first, KKR could only muster a total of 179 runs on the scoreboard. It became evident that the score wouldn't be sufficient, as the Hardik Pandya-led GT side successfully chased it down in just 17.5 overs, losing three wickets in the process.
What did KKR skipper Nitish Rana say?
KKR struggled to find significant contributions from their batsmen, with only two players surpassing the 20-run mark. Captain Nitish Rana held the batsmen responsible for the loss and demonstrated sportsmanship by acknowledging his own failure to make a substantial contribution.
"I think we were 20-25 runs short. If we keep dropping catches against big teams, I do not think the result will be any different. No one apart from Gurbaz and Russell got going. There were not enough partnerships and had we had a partnership of 40-50 runs, the score could have been more."
Despite Kolkata's efforts to restrict Gujarat to 98/3 in 12 overs while defending a target of 179/6, Vijay Shankar emerged as the game-changer. Shankar played a crucial role in overcoming a tense situation during the middle overs, unleashing a scintillating innings of 51 runs off a mere 24 balls. His partnership of 87 runs with David Miller proved instrumental in Gujarat's successful chase, complete with 13 balls remaining. Kolkata's missed opportunity of dropping Miller's catch at 26 proved to be a decisive moment in the match.
Nitish Rana speaks on doing well in all departments
Furthermore, he added, “We kept them quiet in the middle overs but against such teams, if you do not take your chances, you will end up on the losing side. If we do well in all three departments, only then will we have a chance. Unless we do that, the result will not be in our favour. I feel the small moments are more important than the big moments. If you do these small things well, like taking catches and fielding well, there are more chances of victory.”
In their upcoming fixture in IPL 2023, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are set to face Sunrisers Hyderabad once again in a return match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. The match is scheduled to take place on Thursday, providing both teams with an opportunity to showcase their skills and compete for victory.
In other news, Who said what ft. Mitchell Marsh, Heinrich Klaasen