Head Coach Brendon McCullum rued the side's continued batting struggles as the Knight Riders hurtled to a 75-run loss against Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday (May 7) in Pune, a venue where they hadn't lost a single game on seven occasions.
Andre Russell’s yet another all-round display of 2/22 and a 19-ball 45 went in vain as Kolkata Knight Riders crashed to a 75-run loss.
While both sides have won their sole fixtures in Pune, the Knight Riders can lay claim to calling it their fortress, having not lost any of their seven games at the venue since 2012.
When the devastating impact of Covid-19 was at its peak in April, during the Indian leg of the Indian Premier League, Kolkata Knight Riders’ all-rounder Pat Cummins pledged to make a contribution worth USD 50,000 to India’s “PM Cares Fund” and UNICEF Australia's India Covid-19 crisis appeal and set an example for his “fellow IPL players”, who were touched by India’s passion and generosity, by making a public appeal to support the country engulfed by the pandemic.
On Monday (May 2), the tide turned for Kolkata Knight Riders with a win over Rajasthan Royals but perhaps not as significantly as it did for Aligarh’s first IPL recruit, Rinku Singh, making his 13th appearance spanning five years.
A free-flowing batter, he has often had to tailor his mindset and technique according to the match situation performing the role of an anchor and an aggressor.
A strong middle-order showing with the bat helped Kolkata Knight Riders snap their five-match winless streak with a seven-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede stadium.
“We have to make sure that whatever we do, we do it smarter and try to keep the pressure on Rajasthan.”
Tim Southee has insisted the Knight Riders will look to "make the most" of the upcoming games and "put our best foot forward."
Nitish Rana’s rescue act scoring a 34-ball 57 was not enough as Kolkata Knight Riders lost to Delhi Capitals by four wickets at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai on Thursday.
A bowling all-rounder from Ghevra, Delhi, who loves to bat, Rana is known for his express pace and is currently the fastest bowler in the KKR squad.
A promising left-arm mystery spinner and a hard-hitting batter, in the mold of Sunil Narine, Kumar is a product of tennis-ball cricket stardom and is often recognised by his moniker, ‘Narine Jalalabadia’.
Both sides will have their sights set on a win to have any hope of making it to the playoffs.
An aggressive left-handed opener, Singh has been the Railways’ leading run-scorer in white-ball domestic cricket since his T20 debut in 2019.
