Shubman Gill is special player but I can’t be unfair to Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana: Dinesh Karthik

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have lost their way a little bit after a rousing start to the 2019 IPL. They four out of their first five games and their only loss came in a Super Over against Delhi Capitals. However, they have now lost three games on the trot and are now placed fifth on the points table.

The KKR batsmen have failed to live up to expectation in the last few games. They have failed to put on par scores twice against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the last one week and once against Delhi Capitals (DC). On a sluggish Chepauk track, they managed to score just 108 while on two very good batting tracks at Eden Gardens they failed to capitalize on the good start and put on 180 and 162 respectively in the last two games.

Hence, the batsmen have failed to cash in while batting first. In fact, three out of the four wins have come when KKR have batted second. Andre Russell, Robin Uthappa and Chris Lynn have scored in excess of 200 runs in this tournament but barring Russell, the other two have been pretty inconsistent.

Don’t have to listen to outside pressure and be harsh on others: Karthik

Shubman Gill is one of the most exciting batsmen going around in the Indian domestic circuit. Given KKR’s strength at the top, Gill has had to bat lower down the order which has meant lesser opportunities. In the only game he opened for KKR when Sunil Narine and Lynn were both missing from the XI, he made the opportunity count and made a fine 65. Since then, there have been calls for Gill to be promoted up the order regularly.

However, KKR skipper Dinesh Karthik feels it will be unfair on Robin Uthappa and Nitish Rana, both of whom have blown hot and cold this season. “Shubman Gill is a special player. He did a great job opening the batting. However, he opened because Chris Lynn was suffering from fever in that game. But since Gill performed, as a leader, I can’t be unfair to Robin Uthappa and Nitish Rana. They did very well at the start of the tournament,” Dinesh Karthik was quoted saying by India Today. 

He also said that there is clear communication between the management and Gill. Hence, he revealed that neither him nor KKR should listen to the outside pressure and be harsh on others.

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