The Kolkata Knight Riders have had a crushing failure when it came to defending their trophy the very next year of being crowned as the winners of the IPL.
While defeats are part and parcel of the game, the manner of KKR’s defeat warrants some serious questions regarding the core problems that have created a rot in their franchise.
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The first problem is Captain Ajinkya Rahane. His becoming a captain after being taken in at the last stage of the auction shows KKR’s complete unpreparedness regarding the captaincy.
While Rahane had a particularly good season with the bat, he failed as a captain in glueing the team together when it mattered the most.
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But he doesn’t have to take the blame alone. Head coach Chandrakant Pandit and so-called mentor Dwayne Bravo are equally to blame if not more.
Chandrakant Pandit has received massive backlash for the same, as his clueless coaching has ensured that a team with extraordinary talent still comes to bite the dust.
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While Dwayne Bravo has immense respect in Chennai, his reputation in Kolkata is now of an outdated player who is trying to remain relevant but failing miserably.
The management’s ignorance in using Venkatesh Iyer to his full potential is yet another problem, as he was not given a single over to bowl despite being quite good at it.
He was also not sent up the order, despite situations clearly demanding the same. This led to a massively under-par performance from him, despite being bought for a hefty sum of Rs. 23.75 Crores.
While 2025 has been a nightmare of a season for KKR, now is the time to realise their mistakes and urgently rectify them so that the next season doesn’t turn out to be as trashy as this one.
