3 reasons why RR lost to KKR

Rajasthan Royals lost their second fixture against Kolkata Knight Riders in match six of the Indian Premier League at Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati. The visitors, Kolkata knight riders, won the toss and elected to field first. Kolkata’s bowlers went on to prove their captain’s decision to be correct as they restricted Rajasthan batters to a mere 151 runs in 20 overs. Rajasthan batters never looked in control after they lost their captain, Sanju Samson, in the fourth over. Rajasthan lost wickets at regular intervals and never looked settled facing the spinners. Kolkata Knight Riders then went on to chase the target with 15 balls to spare, courtesy of an incredible innings of 97 runs by their opener, Quinton De Kock. Rajasthan are yet to open their scoring in the points table.

Here are three reasons which led to Rajasthan Royals loss in their home fixture.

3. The middle-order problem

Rajasthan Royals are too reliant on their top-order trio- Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag to make the bulk of runs for their side. On a slow wicket at Guwahati, the middle order crumbled, with four of the five batters getting out in single digits in quick succession. Nitish Rana, Hasaranga,  Shubam Dubey and Hetmyer failed to contribute when the team needed it the most.

The team needs to find a solution for this problem at the earliest.

2. The Spinning Problem

Rajasthan Royals batters went inside their shells as they failed to make the most of the overs of KKR spinners. Varun Chakraborty and Moen Ali conceded just 40 runs in eight overs and also scalped 4 wickets. Rajasthan batters found it difficult to even rotate their strike. Varun Chakraborty and Moen Ali both generated a good amount of spin off the wicket. Rajasthan recorded the slowest middle-over phase in this IPL so far.

1. Spearhead’s dismal form

English fast bowler Jofra Archer is leading Rajasthan’s bowling attack this season. However, the pacer’s form has been anything but sensational. The fast bowler has failed to deliver any impressive spells over the last two games and is yet to open his account of wickets in the current season. His economy rate is at striking high figures of more than 13 runs an over. Rajasthan Royals need to find a backup sooner rather than later till their premier bowler gets back his form.