KKR's strength lies in spin attack, says former India pacer Zaheer Khan
Apr 27, 2023
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 27 : Legendary Indian pacer Zaheer Khan said that the strength of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) lies in their spin bowling attack, which consists of likes of Varun Chakravarthy, newcomer Suyash Sharma and legendary West Indies all-rounder Sunil Narine.
The Kolkata Knight Riders pulled off a crucial 21-run win over the Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore in match No. 36 of the TATA IPL 2023 on Wednesday night.
KKR finished proceedings on 200 in 20 overs, led by Jason Roy's quickfire 56 (29b, 4x4, 5x6) and Nitish Rana's 48 (21b, 3x4, 4x6). In reply, RCB skipper Virat Kohli led from the front hitting 54 (37b, 6x4) but saw the other batting stars falter as Varun Chakravarthy (3/27), Andre Russell (2/29), and Suyash Sharma (2/30) performed well with the ball. In the process, KKR arrested a four-game losing streak.
KKR spin bowlers are performing really well in IPL 2023. Varun has 13 wickets in eight matches so far. Suyash has also impressed in his IPL debut, taking nine wickets in six matches. Narine has also taken six wickets in the tournament so far. Varun is the second-highest wicket-taker in IPL 2023.
KKR's spin bowling department came in for rich praise from Zaheer Khan, a JioCinema IPL expert.
"First you plan a certain way and then you see the result on the pitch. KKR decided that against RCB, they will use their spinners more. The spinners went and executed. It is not just the captain but you have to have bowlers of a high calibre. The one thing we have seen this evening is that KKR's strength lies in their spin bowling. They leave an impact on a game with their bowling in favourable conditions," said Khan.
Eoin Morgan, the former England and KKR captain, praised countryman Roy. "He is so imposing at the top of the order. Not only does he possess a huge amount of power, there is a lot of class there as well from the England international. He is such a big performer. In any changing room he goes into, he breathes confidence. What a tall-statured guy, well-built and imposing. Jason stamps his authority early in the game. I think that was a huge point of difference for them."
Roy has impressed in three IPL 2023 outings so far. He has scored 160 matches at an average of 53.33 and a strike rate of 170.21. He has scored two half-centuries in the tournament so far.
Morgan was also impressed with Chakravarthy. "He is an unbelievably grateful guy to be in the situation he is in with the opportunity in the IPL. It is a nice reminder of the sacrifices these players make during this period. He was very candid in the way he spoke, not his day in the last game but today, 3/27. Working on his accuracy more than the variations, he feels he has enough variations at the moment," said Morgan.
KKR are at the seventh position in the points table with three wins and five losses. The side has a total of six points. Their next match is against Gujarat Titans in Kolkata on April 29.
