The Kolkata Knight Riders skipper, Ajinkya Rahane, has stated that the KKR owner and Bollywood skipper, Shah Rukh Khan, has supported them in tough times and has been like an elder brother to them. KKR are winless from the 3 games that they have played in the tournament so far, and their performance has been below average this season. It has been a tough start for the franchise, and the support from the management will give confidence to the players.

 

Ajinkya Rahane has been criticised for his slow strike rate, and he is also on a mission to prove the critics wrong. The Kolkata Knight Riders will be pleased with the form of Angkrish Raghuvanshi, but they still have plenty of boxes to tick. With the Kolkata Knight Riders struggling to get their season up and running, they will need to get a breakthrough match to set the tone for the rest of the season.

Injuries and inconsistent performances leave KKR searching for answers ahead of crucial clash  

The Kolkata Knight Riders played their opening game against the Mumbai Indians, and they displayed a fine batting performance as they set up a total of 220 on the board. But their bowling unit couldn’t contain the form of the Mumbai batters as they just cruised their way to the target with no real pressure. Their pace bowling unit is injury-struck with the likes of Matheesha Pathirana, Harshit Rana and Akash Deep unavailable. Varun Chakravarthy also sustained a left-handed finger injury, which makes his availability doubtful for the next fixture. The injury concerns of the bowlers have severely impacted them as they were forced to utilise their entire squad depth, and this wasn’t exactly the starting squad that the management had in mind after the auction.

With just 3 games into their season, it would be too early to rule out their chances, but if they are to make a case for themselves, then they will have to get each of their departments firing. Cameron Green was bought in the auction for INR 25.20 Crore, and he still hasn't been able to deliver. Their middle order hasn’t been able to fire as Rinku Singh is the only batter apart from Raghuvanshi who has scored some good knocks this season. These 3 matches will leave the Knight Riders with plenty of decisions to think about, but before things get too late, they will have to find a way back into the tournament.

Their next match is set to be played against the Lucknow Super Giants at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata, and this would be their chance to make a statement at home. The KKR owner, Shahrukh Khan, will be confident that his boys can get the job done tomorrow. With injury concerns persisting in their bowling unit, KKR will be hopeful that they can get back to winning ways with a win against the Lucknow Super Giants.