IPL 2019 | Blind hope on stars hurting KKR and SRH, says Harsha Bhogle

KKR were on their track and climbing up the ladder on the points table until they underwent a drastic downfall in form before losing back to back defeats last week against Delhi Capitals (Apr 12) and Chennai Super Kings (Apr 14). This affliction has now seen them slip to the fourth position on the points table.

Bhogle has stated this outcome to the Kolkata-based franchises blind belief on their star player Andre Russell. Russell, who has been outstanding in 2019 with 312 runs from seven innings with a mountainous strike rate of above 213, got trapped by Imran Tahir for just 10 runs, which was the end of KKR. 

Though they still had Dinesh Karthik and Shubman Gill at the crease, their hopes of reaching the par score of 180 looked over instantly and CSK restricted the side to earn themselves an easy target of 162, which they won with two balls to spare.

"Unlike in One-day cricket, and certainly unlike in Test cricket, a solitary player can have a disproportionate impact in T20 cricket. That isn't just confined to runs scored or wickets taken but in the plans the opposition has to make and the reliance the team begins to have on them. Both facets were shown up in matches played over the weekend." Bhogle wrote in his TOI column.

"KKR were well placed to score more than 180 against CSK. It would have been a potentially match-winning score. But their late-innings assaults had come almost exclusively from Andre Russell. And so, when Imran Tahir, and Russell's own instincts, came together in his early dismissal, KKR were marooned. They still had good players around but maybe the reliance on Russell had affected them. With 160, they had a chance but couldn't enforce a win," Bhogle added.

Furthermore, he also added that it was not an exemption for Sunrisers Hyderabad either, who has been relying on Rashid Khan. The leg spinner has had an outstanding economy rate of 5.78, but failed to deliver against DC on Apr 12 taking only one wicket in his overall spell as his side lost by 39 runs. And Bhogle pointed out on the side’s over-reliance on the spinner is costing last season’s runner-ups.

"Just as interesting is what is happening with the Sunrisers and Rashid Khan. He isn't getting as many wickets as he used to but his economy rate is still outstanding. Clearly, the opposition is happy playing him out at six an over or even less, aware that if they attack him, they play into his hands," Bhogle concluded.