KKR hope to end losing streak
Hyderabad, Sept 26 (INN): The batsmen were expected to launch fireworks and set the stadium ablaze. The bowlers were 'equipped with the cannon ball fury to make life uncomfortable for any batsmen.'
Alas, today after three matches, the optimism appears far-fetched and unrealistic. Words of bravado that ring no familiarity because the costliest player of Indian Premier League, Gautham Gambhir, the all-round genius of Jacques Kallis and Indian blitzkrieg specialist Yousuf Pathan have failed to click as a unit.
And that, in a nutshell, has been the undoing of the `mighty' Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the ongoing Champions League T20 Championship.
The Knight Riders have made it to the main draw as the lucky loser in the qualifying rounds. However, rather than seize the opportunity and capitalize on it to score a point or two, the Kolkata outfit has shrunk from bad to worse, including squandering a match that was within hands reach.
That Hyderabad is not a happy hunting ground for them will be on the back of their mind when they play their second match of the main draw at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here on Tuesday.
Gambhir, who returned to action only on Sunday and disappointed everyone with his bizarre first ball dismissal and sloppy field placement, will be hoping that it would be a case of third time lucky this time round.
On paper, they appear more competent and capable of pulling it off against South Australian Redbacks, whose CLT20 experience has been nightmarish, to say the least.
The lone celebrity in its ranks, Shaun Tait has come a cropper. Of course, they have the element of surprise, which could create problems for KKR, who bore the burnt against the unheralded Somerset twice in succession and fell by the wayside.
Redbacks also have the added advantage of being under no pressure whatsoever against the Knights, for whom a win is of utmost importance in the now-or-never situation. At the look of it, the onus is on Gambhir's men to either deliver or perish.
News Posted: 26 September, 2011
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