IPL 2020 | KKR cannot have two inexperienced India pacers in their lineup, opines Joy Bhattacharjya

Despite changing the captain mid-way through the season, KKR suffered the same fate against Mumbai as they were thrashed by the defending champions by 8 wickets. Batting first, KKR put a dismal performance with the bat, where Pat Cummins with his unbeaten 53 had to save them from embarrassment, along with the new captain Eoin Morgan, who scored 29-ball-39. The total was never enough and was easily chased by Mumbai with 19 balls remaining and KKR lost the match by 8 wickets. 

On being asked about the bad run of KKR, Joy Bhattacharjya contradicted KKR’s decision to play two inexperienced pacers and reckoned that he would play Kuldeep Yadav and Lockie Ferguson immediately to provide experience in the team. He insisted that he would also play Sunil Narine, who has been cleared by IPL’s Suspect Bowling Action Committee, in the game against SRH. 

“For me, it’s a no brainer. You cannot have two inexperienced India pacers. I know Kolkata has had a lot of faith in them. They have played two of Shivam Mavi, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, and Prasidh Krishna. They have played two of these three guys and honestly if I have an India player sitting out there - I’d play one of those guys, I’d play Cummins, play Kuldeep Yadav and immediately play Lockie Ferguson in place of Chris Green and my lineup is made. I just have more experience up front. I would do that in a flash,” Bhattacharjya said in a video by uploaded by Cricbuzz. 

“But what I would do even more than that is I would play Sunil Narine tomorrow. Tomorrow is a four-point swing game. I would play him no matter what.”