The Kolkata Knight Riders, in their quest for ascendancy, couldn’t have asked for a better opponent than the Delhi Capitals, whom they face on Friday, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
Why? Because the Knight Riders go into the clash with three wins on the trot, whereas the Capitals have won only one of their last five games.
The momentum, undoubtedly, is with the Knight Riders and with that they are in a much better frame of mind too.
The situation the Knights find themselves in, they do need to maintain the winning streak as even one defeat will bring the net run rate into equation and make matters further complicated for the three-time champions. The KKR camp seems keener on taking one game at a time instead of sweating over their position on the points table, where they are eighth at present.
If they beat the Capitals, they will move up to seventh.
“We’re not worrying too much about the (points) table. The message from the coaches is to treat every game like it’s our last and focus on winning our remaining matches,” team mentor Dwayne Bravo said on Thursday, the eve of the clash.
“We had a poor start, but the last three games have shown improvement and given the group confidence. Results matter, but the process is the most important thing.”
The process aside, what has helped KKR in turning it around after a disastrous start is their spin duo of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy. Particularly Varun,
whom the team kept supporting right through.
“In sport, everything is very result-oriented and emotional. Varun is a world-class spinner and had just come from a hectic (T20) World Cup. Sometimes, a break at the right time is important.
“Nobody doubted his ability. When you’re that good, it’s only a matter of time before form returns. The group has supported him throughout,” Bravo stated.
How Narine and Varun fare against KL Rahul also remains to be seen. That said, young quick Kartik Tyagi’s performance against Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad should also give KKR confidence. So should the current form of Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Rinku Singh, batting-wise.
In a nutshell, the win over the Sunrisers, braving Travis Head’s early assault and a sluggish wicket, should be a massive morale boost.
Surviving Mitchell Starc’s opening spell will be the key for KKR. However, if Finn Allen can unleash his fireworks against the left-arm quick, that will help in easing matters for the rest of the batting group.