Live Score
Cricket Teams
Cricket Players
'Batsmen lacked intent, were 40 runs short': Eoin Morgan after KKR's 4th straight loss in IPL 2021
IPL 2021, KKR vs RR: KKR captain Eoin Morgan, who was run out without facing a ball, said the top-order left too much to do for the likes of Dinesh Karthik and Andre Russell towards the back end.
Kolkata Knight Riders captain Eoin Morgan said the KKR batsmen lacked intent and were probably 40 runs on a Wankhede pitch in Mumbai which had no demons in it. Batting first, KKR were restricted to 133 for 9 as Chris Morris picked up 4 wickets with the ball. In reply, Sanju Samson remained unbeaten on 42 as RR knocked off the target in the 19th over with six wickets in hand.
After their fourth loss on the trot in IP 2021, Morgan said KKR were behind the game right from the beginning of Saturday’s encounter.
“The batting let us down. We lacked a lot of intent throughout the whole innings. We were behind the game right from the get-go. Didn’t put the bowlers under enough pressure. RR adapted to the pitch much better. We were probably 40 short which is a lot in a T20 game,” Morgan said at the post-match presentation.
KKR openers Nitish Rana and Shubman Gill struggled to get the boundaries against RR’s three-pronged left-arm seam attack of Jaydev Unadkat, Chetan Sakariya and Mustafizur Rahman. KKR were 25 for 1 in the powerplay and that’s where it all went wrong for them.
“The wicket today wasn’t as good as it has been here at the Wankhede and that was a challenge in itself. Every time we tried taking an attacking option, we lost a wicket,” Morgan said.
The left-hander who was run out without facing a ball, said the top-order left too much to do for the likes of Dinesh Karthik and Andre Russell towards the back end.
“Left us a lot to do at the back end, which we didn’t obviously do. Clearer the mind, the easier it is (to play with intent). We want guys to play free-flowing cricket. It wasn’t there today unfortunately,” he said.
Royals lost their openers, Jos Buttler (5) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (22), in the powerplay but they never lost control of the chase and got over the line in 18.5 overs for their second win in five matches. For KKR, it was their fourth loss in five matches. Morris, the most expensive player in the IPL auction history, proved his worth with figures of four for 23 in four overs.
The other pacers, Jaydev Unadkat (1/25), Chetan Sakariya (1/31) and Mustafizur Rahman (1/22), also made valuable contributions. Royals witnessed a nervy moment early in the chase when Buttler received a nasty blow on his helmet as he tried to negotiate a sharp bouncer from Pat Cummins. Soon after, the England cricketer was trapped in front by mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy. Jaiswal, playing his first game of the season, played some exquisite strokes before getting caught in the deep. Royals were 50 for two in the first six overs.
(With PTI inputs)
