Kolkata Knight Riders bowling coach Tim Southee felt his side “let a few too many” in the opening phase against Chennai Super Kings after the franchise suffered a 32-run defeat in the Indian Premier League on Tuesday. Even though KKR managed to strike twice during the powerplay, they surrendered 72 runs across six overs, setting up CSK to reach a commanding total of 192/5 in 20 overs.
KKR’s early bowling issues and how they were punished
At the post-match press conference, Southee pointed to a lack of accuracy in the first couple of overs as the key reason CSK found momentum. He said KKR were slightly off their “line and length” at the start, and stressed that in the IPL, batters can quickly turn small misses into big damage—especially on batting-friendly surfaces.
- KKR took two wickets in the powerplay, but still conceded 72 runs in six overs.
- Southee said the early overs were where KKR’s line and length were “a little bit off”.
- He added that good IPL batting pitches mean early inaccuracies are quickly exploited by aggressive strokeplay.
CSK’s 192/5: contributions from the top order and a key wicket-taker
After winning the toss and batting first, CSK posted 192/5 in their 20 overs. The innings was driven by major contributions from Samson and Brevis, while Kartik Tyagi made an impact with the ball.
- Samson scored 48 off 32 balls, striking four fours and three sixes.
- Brevis made 41 off 29 balls, with four boundaries and two maximums.
- Kartik Tyagi finished with 2/35.
- Anukul Roy took 1/21 in three overs.
- Sunil Narine also claimed 1/21, bowling four overs.
KKR’s chase: recovery, then collapse after Noor Ahmad’s burst
KKR’s reply began in trouble as they slipped to 29/2, but they steadied the chase through a 50-run partnership between skipper Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi. Rahane struck 28 off 22 balls, while Raghuvanshi contributed 27 off 19.
Despite that recovery, the momentum shifted decisively when Noor Ahmad delivered a turning spell. KKR went into a collapse, dropping to 90/6, and were ultimately restricted to 160/7 in their 20 overs.
- KKR were reduced to 29/2 in the chase.
- Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi added 50 runs together.
- Noor Ahmad’s decisive spell triggered a collapse.
- KKR finished at 160/7, falling short by 32 runs.
KKR’s response in the middle overs and Southee’s remarks
While acknowledging the damage done early, Southee also highlighted KKR’s ability to regroup, particularly during the middle overs. He said the spinners played a crucial role in pulling things back after the powerplay went against them.
- Southee said KKR were hurt in the powerplay, but the side responded well afterward.
- He specifically praised the spinners for helping restrict the damage in the middle overs.
“I think we were probably a little bit off in the first couple of overs. I think we just let a few too many go at the start. We were a little bit off our line, off our lengths, and we’ve seen in the IPL that the wickets are good. Batters are going to come hard from the start, so if you’re a little bit off, you get hurt. So yeah, I think we got hurt in that powerplay, but I think the way the guys bounced back, in particular the spinners, through the middle, and were able to, I guess, take it back a bit as well,” Southee said.
