Mumbai, Apr 28 (Cricket News) Kolkata Knight Riders have completely lost the plot with as many as 19 players being used in nine games and skipper Shreyas Iyer had no option but to admit that they haven't been able to get their combination right in IPL-15.
KKR have used as many as five different opening pairs and the team looked far from settled after its fifth straight defeat — this time to Delhi Capitals by four wickets with an over to spare.
"No real excuses, we have to go back and assess where things are going wrong. A lot of chopping and changing is happening (at the top of the order), it's been difficult to set up the right combination, with all injuries not helping as well," an irritated looking Iyer said after the match here on Thursday.
He urged his teammates to play fearless cricket and not be conservative in their approach.
"We need to stick together, play some fearless cricket, not be conservative with the bat. Five more matches remaining, we need to play well, show belief and give something back to the team and the management, forget about the past, start afresh and back your instinct," he said on the way forward.
"You need to sit back and think where it's going wrong. We can't be overconfident, give your best, if we still lose, then it's fine," he said.
Once Khaleel is back from injury, we will have an idea of a set XI: Pant —————————————————————————– DC skipper Rishabh Pant was always confident that once they take the game deep, there was no way they won't win against KKR but he also believed that once Khaleel Ahmed is back from his hamstring injury, they will have a settled XI.
"We were thinking (of the wobble) because we lost too many wickets in the middle but at the same time we thought if we take the game deep, we can win it.
"We haven't thought (about this as the best XI) as hundred percent. Khaleel got injured and that was a forced change, once he is back then we will have our best XI." Pant made it clear that Rovman Powell is being seen as a finisher.
"We see him (Powell) as a finisher but like today when we lost too many wickets, he has to come up and do the job.
"We are not thinking about the points table and take one game at a time. We have to be more clear with our plans and that is something we can improve," he added.
No fear of failure, says Player of the Match Kuldeep ——————————————————- Having decimated KKR in the first leg, Kuldeep Yadav took another four wickets against his old team to inch closer towards the Purple Cap with 17 scalps, which is currently one less than Yuzvedra Chahal.
For Kuldeep, the fear of failure is no more there in him.
"I might have become a better bowler, but I am mentally stronger than before. When you fail in life you pick what you can improve on and that is something I had to improve. I don't get scared of failing now," the left-arm wrist spinner said.
Also Read : Delhi Capitals beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 4 wickets
News Source : PTI
