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Former Indian cricketer Saba Karim has pointed out that the Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) support staff and senior players possess immense experience, but their strategic calls have not been that sharp, and the key players have not delivered consistently in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season.
Three-time champions KKR are yet to win a match in the tournament. The three-time champions suffered defeats against the Mumbai Indians and the Sunrisers Hyderabad, while their match against the Punjab Kings was washed out due to rain and wet outfield. "KKR have immense experience in their support staff; players like Shane Watson, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell, and Tim Southee understand different match situations and how the IPL evolves. That clarity reflects in decision-making. With KKR, that's where the concern lies, their calls haven't been as sharp, and their key players haven't delivered consistently with either bat or ball," Karim said on JioHotstar. He added that even players performing well, like Sunil Narine, who has been economical, have not been utilised effectively during the Powerplay, where they could make a significant impact. "These are areas KKR need to address quickly, because it's not going to be an easy turnaround," Karim added. The KKR vs PBKS match was abandoned at 10:58 pm IST on Monday, leaving both teams to settle for a point each on Monday. The evening began with KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane winning the toss and electing to bat first, hoping to get the team their first points after KKR entered the match on the back of losses in both their matches. However, the PBKS pace attack, led by the clinical Xavier Bartlett, immediately put the hosts on the back foot. Kolkata's expensive overseas recruit Cameron Green (4) fell early, followed quickly by explosive opener Finn Allen (6), leaving KKR reeling at 16/2 within the first two overs. Angkrish Raghuvanshi (7*) joined Rahane (8*) to move the score to 25/2 after 3.4 overs before the drizzle started. The rain eventually subsided and stopped at around 10:30 pm. The Eden Gardens ground staff did their best to get the ground ready for the five-over match, but the water on the ground was too much for the game to resume. And eventually, the captains of both KKR and PBKS had to shake hands at 10:58 pm. Kolkata Knight Riders will now look to register their first IPL win on Thursday against Lucknow Super Giants, while Punjab Kings travel back home to Mullanpur to face Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 11. (ANI)
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