Published: Apr 22, 2025, 06:25 PM (IST)
Edited: Apr 22, 2025, 06:25 PM (IST)
Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) batters are “low on confidence” right now, the team’s mentor Dwayne Bravo conceded after the franchise slumped to its fifth loss in 8 IPL matches this season but refused to blame the much-talked about Eden Gardens pitch for the side’s woes.
KKR were handed a 39-run loss by Gujarat Titans here on Monday with skipper Ajinkya Rahane’s 36-ball 50 being the only knock of substance in the steep chase of 198
“IPL is a tough tournament, and when you don’t start well, you know, batsmen go into a period where they lose confidence,” Bravo said at the post-match interaction with media.
“That’s what’s happening at the moment. So like I said, we just have to keep backing them, and hopefully they come good…our batters, low in confidence and normally runs bring confidence. Form brings confidence. And we, at the moment, to be honest, don’t have that confidence” Bravo added.
The Eden Gardens surface has been under the spotlight this season after the KKR camp voiced concerns about not getting its preferred home track. However, Bravo stated that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the track.
“Nothing is wrong with the wicket. I didn’t come here to talk about the wicket. I think both teams play on the same wicket. We didn’t play a good game of cricket. They played better than us,” Bravo said.
Asked about the big-hitting Andre Russell’s continued struggles with the bat, Bravo was quick to dismiss the idea of teams targeting their star all-rounder in particular.
“Russell is not the only one who is struggling at the moment. Russell is an experienced player, he’s a successful player. Actually as a team we’re not batting properly. So that’s just the reality,” Bravo said.
“But as a group, we have to make sure that the players keep putting in their work and practice, keep preparing well, try to keep them mentally focused,” Bravo added.
