'Russell, Rinku, Ramandeep haven't played a single good innings' - Aakash Chopra highlights KKR's batting flaws
"The batting has depth, but it has become a concern because very few people are pulling their weight in the side," Aakash Chopra said while analysing KKR's batting lineup.
Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have three wins and four defeats from seven matches in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. On Monday, April 21, they will look to climb up on the points table when they host Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
KKR's batting department has let them down on a few occasions this season. In their most recent fixture in Mullanpur, the Ajinkya Rahane-led side failed to chase down a 112-run target. After the soul-shattering defeat, KKR will be looking to bounce back in front of their home fans on Monday.
Ahead of the highly-awaited clash, former India cricketer Aakash Chopra pointed out that apart from Mumbai batters Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi, none of the KKR batters have been able to play to their full potential. The cricketer-turned-expert mentioned that Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, and Ramandeep Singh have not played one good knock so far in the 18th edition of the IPL.
"KKR got all out for 95 in the last match. You got all out for 115-odd even in Mumbai. The batting has depth, but it has become a concern because very few people are pulling their weight in the side. Rahane and Raghuvanshi are playing well," Chopra said in a video uploaded on his official YouTube channel.
"Apart from them, everyone is mercurial. Venkatesh Iyer has played one good innings. Quinton de Kock has played one good innings. Sunil Narine has played an odd good innings. Russell, Rinku and Ramandeep haven't played a single good innings thus far. That is your problem," he added.
Chopra also suggested that KKR should figure out a batting order. He added that sometimes batters don't take adequate responsibility when there is depth in the batting lineup.
The top three together do a good job: Aakash Chopra
Gujarat Titans have been heavily reliant on their top three batters - Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, and Jos Buttler. This trio has scored almost 70% of Gujarat's runs this season. Chopra said that the 2022 champions will hope for another solid performance from them on Monday. He also said that Sherfane Rutherford getting runs in the last game against Delhi Capitals will give the team some added confidence.
"It's not understandable, but Gujarat are playing well. The top three together do a good job. That is a wonderful story. They will be dependent on them here also. Sherfane Rutherford played well in the last match for sure, that's a good addition," he said.
The 47-year-old opined that Shubman's reluctance to use Sai Kishore against left-handed batters and Rashid Khan's dismal form are areas of concern for the Titans.
"Prasidh Krishna is bowling very well, but Arshad Khan and Ishant Sharma, and will you not make Sai Kishore bowl if a left-hander comes? So there are a few question marks, and Rashid Khan's form is absolutely gone. Now, he is even dropping catches, which he didn't use to do earlier," Chopra observed.
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