Performance analysis of the top 4 teams of IPL 10

#4 Kolkata Knight Riders

The side led by Gautam Gambhir emerged as a strong XI this year and finished on the fourth place with 16 points in 14 matches with 8 wins and 6 losses. They had the best net run rate in the league before the last game but it dropped to +0.641 which was the second best after MI. They were constantly in the top 2 and would be disappointed to slip down to number 4 after the 2 consecutive losses at the end. They had the opportunity to finish on the top spot as well but now have to be content with the fourth.

Their campaign was underway after the power-packed knock from Chris Lynn but unfortunately, he got injured and missed out on so many games. In his absence, they sent Sunil Narine to open the innings and the move did wonders for them. Narine went after the bowling from the first ball without worrying about getting out. Whenever he provided the quickfire starts, KKR were well on course for a big score. If he failed, Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa were there to resurrect the innings. Manish Pandey was another reliable batsman in the middle order who did well for them.

When it comes to bowling, there was not one bowler who stood out but it was a collective effort from Chris Woakes, Umesh Yadav and Kuldeep Yadav. Narine proved to be more effective with the bat this year than the ball and could pick up just 10 wickets. The bowlers did a good job but it was the batting that overpowered the opposition in most of their victories.

Top Performers

The English fast bowler Chris Woakes was bought by KKR for a bid of INR 4.2 crore that made him the costliest player for the team from the auction. He did not have a good start in the league and went for a few runs but made a good comeback and is currently the leading wicket-taker for KKR. He has bagged 17 wickets in 13 matches and bowled well with the new ball as well as at the death.

Even though Narine and Lynn grabbed all the attention with their explosive batting yet it was the more calm and composed skipper Gambhir who ended up being the highest scorer for them. He has 454 runs to his name in 14 matches at an average of 41.27. The left-hander has notched up 4 half-centuries so far and has been the backbone of the batting line-up. If Narine clicked, he carried on the momentum and if he failed, he rebuilt the innings.

The Path ahead

KKR will face SRH in the Eliminator and it will be a clash where the prediction of the winner would be very difficult. Both sides are well balanced and have defeated each other once in the league so far. KKR’s strong batting will face the examination of a strong SRH bowling line-up. KKR do have the team that is capable of going the distance and they have done it twice in the past. A tough challenge awaits them but if all goes well for them, they might clinch their third title.