IPL 2020: Gautam Gambhir wants Dinesh Karthik to bat down at No.6 below Eoin Morgan

Dinesh Karthik-led Kolkata Knight Riders registered second defeat in four matches after they failed to hunt down 228-run total against Delhi Capitals on Saturday. After being put to bat first, Capitals amassed a colossal total of 228 on the back of Shreyas Iyer’s blistering 88.

In response, KKR failed to stitch a match-winning partnership in the middle. The Kolkata side flagged off their run-chase with yet another batting failure for Sunil Narine. After Narine’s departure, Shubman Gill stitched a 22-ball 28 but he was also shown the exit door in the ninth over.

Nitish Rana, scoring 58 off 35, tried to save KKR’s sinking ship but wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals. As the match progressed further, Andre Russell and skipper Karthik also departed cheaply, but Eoin Morgan (44) and Rahul Tripathi (36) tried to pull off something incredible in the end. However, to their disappointment, KKR fell short of the target as DC clinched their third victory of the tournament.

Sunil Narine should go to bat at eight or nine: Gautam Gambhir

Following KKR’s thumping loss at Sharjah, their former skipper Gautam Gambhir has suggested them to make a batting change. While Gambhir wants Narine to bat lower down the order, he believes skipper Karthik should come in the middle after Morgan and Russell.

“Rahul Tripathi goes up the order, Dinesh Karthik plays at No. 6, not before Morgan and not before Russell as well,” Gambhir told ESPNCricinfo. “Probably Sunil Narine goes to bat at eight or nine. If Morgan bats at four and Russell at five, that’s the right position for both of them and Dinesh Karthik to follow.”

Gambhir also questioned Karthik’s move to hand the ball to leg-spinner Varun Chakravarthy the 19th over. Chakravarthy leaked 20 runs in that over and DC sailed past the 200-run mark with ease. “Your best bowlers need to be bowling the 18th, 19th and 20th over and unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Pat Cummins, Sunil Narine – if a spinner has to bowl,” he said.

“You got to back young Mavi as well, he did a fabulous job in the previous games and so did Andre Russell. You have to got to give it your best bowlers. Yes, Varun Chakravarthy did bowl well in the first few overs but you cannot expect a young spinner to be bowling the 19th over and that too in Sharjah,” added Gambhir.