IPL 2019 | Dinesh Karthik slams KKR’s bowling and fielding after SRH loss
Dinesh Karthik didn’t mince his words after Kolkata Knight Riders succumbed to their fifth consecutive defeat in the IPL this season against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday. The skipper also revealed that Kuldeep Yadav was dropped from the squad because he wasn’t in form and couldn’t stand up for KKR.
Batting first, the two-time IPL champions could only post a target of 160 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad, but the hosts chased it down comfortably with nine wickets left and thirty balls to spare, thanks to a massive 131-run partnership by David Warner and Jonny Bairstow.
However, Karthik pointed at the three dropped catches that the side encountered, all of Bairstow, made the win all the easier for SRH. The first one took place as early as in the second over when KC Cariappa let Bairstow’s catch slip through his hands on Yarra Prithviraj's ball. The second and the third miss took place in 12th and 13th over respectively with Harry Gurney and Piyush Chawla missing their chances.
And Karthik, who was of the opinion that 160 was a par score on that pitch, felt that Bairstow’s early wicket could have seen things differently. “Our bowling has been off-colour in the tournament. Our fielding needs a lot of improvement too. I think 160 was a par score on this wicket if we'd bowled well. I think they (Warner and Bairstow) batted really well but our fielding cost us," said skipper Karthik after the match, reported Cricbuzz.
"And after that dropped catch (off Prithviraj), he (Bairstow) came at us all guns blazing. A wicket of Bairstow would have felt better, feel for the guy (Yarra Prithviraj). We have been outplayed in this game," Karthik further added.
KKR had made a lot of changes to their side coming to the match with major names like Robin Uthappa and Kuldeep Yadav dropped from the side and the skipper revealed it was due to their form.
“A form issue with (Kuldeep) - as he couldn't stand up for us in the last game. We had to give him a break and get him back fresh,” Karthik concluded.