KKR struggle in IPL 2022: Team which made the most changes and end up fighting for wooden spoon

Despite making a solid start for the tournament, the franchise failed to maintain the flow. After sustaining a streak of losses, they made a comeback by securing a confidence-boosting victory against Rajasthan Royals. However, in the match against Lucknow Super Giants, the team once again collapsed, diminishing their hopes of qualifying for the playoffs. This season, there have been numerous loose ends for the franchise, leading them to a wooden spot in the tournament. 

KKR's inconsistency in team selection

Out of the many reasons, constant changes in the playing XI are considered to be the primary reason for the team's failure in the current season. Although the tournament is in its second half, the Kolkatta Knight Riders are still sceptical about the team selection. Notably, 20 players have been fielded by KKR in the ongoing edition, which is the highest for any team. The roles of players have not been defined in the team. Most of the players in the team do not know their batting position or whether they are playing in the next fixture. A team needs to back the players for at least two-three matches and provide them confidence. With new combinations, it's challenging to perform well for any team. If there are insecurities in the team, and these many changes occur, it is certainly reflected in the result.

Failure in finding a perfect opening combination

The vital asset for a strong batting line-up is a formidable opening pair. KKR's significant setback this season has been their irregular opening combination. Till now, the team has used six opening combinations, which affected their batting line-up as none of the pairs turned out to be impressive. In the initial five matches, the team was consistent with Ajinkya Rahane and Venkatesh Iyer despite their inconsistent performance. In the next six games, the team tried every opening option they had, destroying the team's stability. The team management went with Aaron Finch, Sunil Narine, Sam Billings and Baba Indrajith; however, none of them proved to be a thriving option.

Aakash Chopra said: "Kolkata are just slipping. It seems like they have no idea of what they are doing. Even I really cannot understand what they are trying to do, both with their batting order and as well as with their team selection. Sometimes Aaron Finch opens the batting, and then out of the blue Sam Billings is sent out at the top of the order. What will they do next? I really don't know."

Over-dependence on Russell!

Andre Russell has been with the two-time IPL champions since IPL 2015. He has more often played the role of a finisher with his power-hitting skills for the franchise. The 33-year-old aggregates 1869 runs in 73 innings at 31.68 and a strike rate of 180.06. Russell has always been carrying the team on his shoulder with numerous single-handed wins. However, Russell hasn't been consistent enough to make KKR victorious this season. In this season, Russell has scored 272 with an impressive strike rate of 183 in his nine innings. However, he was the only lone warrior for the team as he could not get support from others. The team's over-dependence on the Caribbean power hitter has been one of the big reasons affecting the team's performance, and the management definitely needs to think about this.

Two big names and confusion

With Tim Southee and Pat Cummins, KKR probably has two of the best bowlers of international cricket. Southee has clinched 11 wickets in his six innings with an economy of 7.71, which is quite appreciable compared to others. Despite this performance, Southee has featured in just six matches which seems unacceptable from the team management. Pat Cummins, the Australian all-rounder who has batted significantly for the franchise, has failed to provide justice to his hefty amount in the auction. Cummins has been stunning with his bat; however, his poor bowling display is a big concern for the team. Cummins has clinched four wickets in his four matches with a terrific economy of 12.0. Due to this reason, Cummins has managed to play just four games in the season. These two are big names in international cricket; however, their performance and lack of matches in the season is massive confusion for the team.

The team's hopes to qualify for the playoffs are almost negligible; however, the team will indeed look for a balanced squad for the next matches. KKR has their further games against MI, SRH and LSG.