Surely, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) aren’t this bad. To be routed in under 30 overs and pummelled by eight wickets. It was a no-contest that even the most ardent Mumbai Indians (MI) supporter found difficult to believe. Understandably, the fans are angry. In fact, fans often overreact and that’s always been the story of fandom. But, to a degree, they are entitled. In my book, the two most important constituents of the IPL are the players and the fans. Unless the fans watch it, there is no IPL. They help the broadcaster make money, encourage the advertisers to spend and make the tournament what it is. They make heroes of the players and create brands of them.
The best example was when the KKR won the tournament in 2012. Over 80,000 fans made it to the Eden Gardens on a scorching summer day to be a part of the celebrations on the team’s return. If we don’t call that an overreaction and hail the gesture as an act of passion, we should treat their comments after a listless performance in the very same manner. They will vent, for they are upset. They will speak out, for they are frustrated and disappointed. A committed fan is also a vocal fan, and it can’t be that we will take the good and reject the bad. If we hail his fandom and use his or her praise to highlight the robustness of the brand, we need to take the criticism seriously as well and be accountable to a degree.
That’s exactly what KKR need to do at this point. After the abysmal surrender on Monday night, social media is in a tizzy. Did they lose focus with all the pitch talk? Is it a problem against the moving ball? Are they missing Gautam Gambhir and is that an issue? Shreyas Iyer – how important was he?
There is little debate the team was listless against MI. Some important questions stare at us and they need to be asked. KKR, the management needs to realise, is an emotion for many in Bengal. It is a sentiment that can hardly be ignored. In business, the shareholders need to be told why certain decisions were taken. KKR are no different.
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Why would a Rinku Singh keep attacking when there are many overs to play and the team is struggling? Why would Venky Iyer play shots from the first ball and take unnecessary risks? Bear in mind that they were playing an MI side that had lost both their opening games and were vulnerable. Even a score of 150-160 might have asked questions of a line-up low on confidence.
But even with the vastly experienced Ajinkya Rahane in charge, one has to question KKR’s approach. Every batter seemed in a hurry and they did not last the full 20 overs. Some of the shots played were real shockers and, understandably, fans are angry.
I would still say that KKR are one of the better sides. Also, this could be an aberration provided they get their focus back on the game. Forget the pitch and all else. KKR have one win out of three, and it is still early days in the tournament.
How will they regroup in two days, ahead of the game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, who have also had a rocky start? How will they react to the Eden pitch? What is Chandrakant Pandit’s Plan B? How does Rahane keep the flock together? It was Rahane that helped turn things around for India after the famous 36 all out in Adelaide (2020). Clearly, he can do it for KKR. The fans would believe so, and will flock to Eden on April 3 hoping for a turnaround.
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