In IPL 2024, Kolkata Knight Riders had a formidable run at Eden Gardens, winning five out of seven games. The warm comforts of an abode, however, eluded the franchise in the next season, tarnishing the track record of 52 victories in 89 matches at home.
At the heart of the lapses in familiar territory was the deck, which curator Sujan Mukherjee was allegedly preparing without keeping the best interests of the hosts in mind. “We would love to see the pitch helping the spin bowlers, but this wicket was under cover for the last one-and-a-half days. Josh Hazlewood used the conditions really well,” captain Ajinkya Rahane rued at the press conference after Royal Challengers Bangalore claimed their campaign opener.
The lack of grip and bite enfeebled the defending champions’ spin-oriented eleven. Varun Chakravarthy returned 17 wickets in the previous edition but his figures in the city of joy were rather glum – 0/31, 0/33, 1/39, 1/43. Three of those four fixtures ended in defeat while the remainder was washed out mid-innings. His partner-in-crime in the middle phase, Sunil Narine trapped two victims in their den. In comparison, on an abrasive Guwahati surface, Moeen Ali and Varun snapped 4/40 between them to barricade Rajasthan Royals.
Copping flak for the inability to deliver similar surfaces in-house, Mukherjee reiterated BCCI guidelines saying that teams should not have a say in pitch preparations. Pundit Simon Doull felt Kolkata Knight Riders were being treated unfairly in their own backyard. They found themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place as neither were the spinners getting favourable conditions to thrive nor could they ask an inexperienced pace battery to fill in.
Australian left-arm quick Spencer Johnson was wet behind his ears at the international level while Vaibhav Arora was uncapped. Harshit Rana was fastracked into the Indian set-up following a triumphant IPL 2024 but he is known to be far more effective when operating in tandem with a sounding board like Mitchell Starc, who had departed for Delhi Capitals. Umran Malik was on the treatment table too, leaving their attack as porous as the border of West Bengal. The light at the end of the tunnel could have emanated from Anrich Nortje if he wasn’t on the comeback trail after an injury layover.
An embarrassing 110-run defeat at the hands of Sunrisers Hyderabad featured the highest total ever conceded by Kolkata Knight Riders – 278/3. In IPL 2025, they recorded the worst PowerPlay dot-ball percentage – 49.82%. Perhaps they bungled up the auction strategy, failing to procure an overseas gun apart from the moustached South African, but rotten luck with regards to availability and Mukherjee’s adamance didn’t make life easier.
Kolkata Knight Riders would’ve thought that they’ve endured their fair share of misfortune, and the only way from rock bottom is up. Much to their chagrin, niggles continue to be a thorn in their flesh. Having splurged 18 crores on Sri Lankan slinger Matheesha Pathirana, they await a no-objection certificate from his board upon clearance of fitness tests. A death-overs specialist, he lived up to his billing at Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2024, scalping 13 wickets at an economy rate of 7.68 including a match-winning 4/28 against Mumbai Indians.
Harshit Rana and Akash Deep are out on the sidelines. Mustafizur Rahman has been deemed ineligible to participate owing to the strained relations between India and Bangladesh, with Zimbabwe quick Blessing Muzarabani drafted in as replacement. As if the situation wasn’t already as dark as the history of the Sunderbans, an episode of miscommunication between Cricket Australia and Kolkata Knight Riders meant the uber-expensive signing of Cameron Green has turned into one with an asterisk. Nursing a sore back, the all-rounder won’t be rolling his arm over for a fortnight.
“When he starts bowling, the combination will be slightly different,’’ the skipper emphasized the role of an extra pacer. Finding that balance with the ball is really important, so hopefully Green starts to bowl soon, so we can find the combinations that will be okay.’’
With an average score of 170 batting first Wankhede is not the spot to kick off an endeavour for lightweights, and so it proved as Mumbai Indians gunned down 224, not only their highest successful chase but also the best for any team at the venue. Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickleton shared an opening partnership worth 148 runs, with the former’s premeditated hoick against Vaibhav, inside-out loft versus Kartik Tyagi, and shimmying thump off Muzarabani belying the fact that he was playing a proper T20 after ten months. Albeit it was the fifth over, from Varun Chakravarthy, that rubberstamped Rohit’s authority.
He welcomed the mysteryman by clearing the off-side ring, took the aerial route again upon sighting a tossed-up tempter, and then budged inside the line to flick the ball through deep backward square for another boundary. 15 came off the over, a microcosm of the hammering in store. Varun’s economy rate across his last six T20s, where he has leaked 273 runs from 23 overs, is the worst among spinners to have bowled at least 120 balls in six successive matches in men’s T20s. Sunday was also the first occasion of Varun enduring a fruitless quota in 17 T20s.
Moreover, data renders Narine’s introduction once the field spread out unwise. He has dismissed Rohit 10 times in T20s while conceding at just a run-a-ball. Summoned later on, the lynchpin was hit for three sixes on the leg side by Rickleton.
Thus, heading to their headquarters for a stretch of three games, it is of paramount importance for Kolkata Knight Riders to regain the home advantage which facilitated their third title. Be it by serving Mukherjee a plate of sondesh from century-old shops in Guptipara that overlook the Hooghly river, or by entrusting left-arm orthodox Anukul Roy with more responsibility when the stars struggle, they ought to make sure spin influences their extended basecamp.
