Former English batter Kevin Pietersen has slammed Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for their current state of affairs and an extended losing run.
After winning three out of the first four games, Kolkata Knight Riders made a solid start to the competition. Then, however, they had a free-fall after losing the next five consecutive matches.
Their sorry run has put them in danger of missing the playoffs, and the former legendary batter Kevin Pietersen has berated the Kolkata-based franchise over their situation. The right-handed batter also compared their situation to Mumbai Indians, who already have crashed out of the competition.
“Along with Mumbai, KKR are my disappointments of the competition so far” – Kevin Pietersen
On his Betway insider blog, Kevin Pietersen wrote, “I know that Mumbai Indians are having a shocker, but KKR are also in a dreadful way. They won three of their first four games and have totally lost it since then. They’ve used 19 players so far, which is far too many. For a franchise as big as them, it’s just a horrible state of affairs.”
“That is a dressing room full of the opposite energy to Gujarat [Titans]: negative, negative, negative. Last year, that run to the final was defined by out-of-the-box thinking,” Kevin Pietersen further added.
“They had their analyst, Nathan Leamon, front and centre, sending signals out to the middle, and they seemed really innovative. Now it seems like the whole thing has run out of momentum. Along with Mumbai, they are my disappointments of the competition so far,” Kevin Pietersen concluded.
During the previous edition, Kolkata Knight Riders were in a similar situation with two wins in seven matches. However, the tournament was shifted to the UAE, and they managed to turn around their fortunes. The Men in Purple reached the final but lost to the Chennai Super Kings.
They are hoping for a similar turnaround this season, but it would be difficult this time, given the extra competition because of two new teams. However, Kolkata Knight Riders halted their losing run by defeating Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets in the last game.
However, they still sit 7th in the points table with four wins and six losses after ten matches. Therefore, KKR must win all of their remaining fixtures to qualify for the playoffs.
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