KKR's Opening Woes Persist: Struggles Continue Against GT

Kolkata Knight Riders' openers falter again in IPL, posting low scores against Gujarat Titans. Rahmanullah Gurbaz, filling in for Quinton de Kock, managed only one run, while Sunil Narine fell cheaply. KKR's opening average and run rate remain among the lowest, impacting their performance this season.

Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) openers continued their troubling performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL), delivering another underwhelming show against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Monday. Tasked with chasing down a daunting 199-run target, KKR's Rahmanullah Gurbaz, stepping in for Quinton de Kock, was swiftly dismissed by Mohammed Siraj after scoring just one run. Meanwhile, Sunil Narine could only secure 17 runs, caught off a Rashid Khan delivery by Rahul Tewatia.

This season, the KKR opening pair has mustered a mere 152 runs across eight innings, averaging 19.00—the lowest among all teams. Their run rate, 8.44, ranks just above the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The highest partnership for KKR's openers this season has been 46 runs. In an attempt to find a working combination, KKR has shuffled through four openers, including de Kock (143 runs, average 23.83, strike rate over 137.50 with a fifty), Narine (147 in seven innings, average 21.00, strike rate of 177.10), Gurbaz (one run in one match), and Moeen (five runs in one inning), all mostly underperforming.

In their matches so far, KKR's opening stand has produced partnerships of 4 (Royal Challengers Bengaluru), 41 (Rajasthan Royals), one (Mumbai Indians), 14 (Sunrisers Hyderabad), 37 (Lucknow Super Giants), 46 (Chennai Super Kings), seven (Punjab Kings), and two (Gujarat Titans). In the recent match, KKR decided to bowl first after winning the toss. GT's innings were fortified by a 114-run partnership between Sudharsan (52 off 36 balls, six fours, one six) and Gill, who scored an impressive 90 off 55 balls, including 10 fours and three sixes. A subsequent 58-run stand between Gill and Jos Buttler (41* off 23 balls, eight fours) propelled GT to 198/3 in 20 overs. For KKR, bowlers Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy, and Andre Russell each claimed one wicket. GT now needs to defend 199 runs to achieve their sixth victory in the competition.

(With inputs from agencies.)