Former Australia captain Aaron Finch has raised doubts over Kolkata Knight Riders’ decision-making in their defeat to Chennai Super Kings, pointing particularly to their approach during a tough run chase. Finch felt that while the franchise tried to introduce some variation into their batting plan, the match-day execution and tactical calls did not add the momentum needed to stay in contention at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Tuesday.
“Certainly wasn’t pretty. A lot of question marks about KKR, particularly in that run chase. Some of their tactics were very questionable. We praised the decision for Sunil Narine to go to the top of the order. It didn’t come off today (24 in 17 balls), but it was something different. At least they tried it,” Finch said.
Finch then argued that after the early reshuffle, several other choices failed to generate the momentum required in the innings. He suggested that the batting combination and the way the pairings were used did not create enough pressure on the bowling side. “But some of the other decisions were a bit strange. And they were never in the hunt. We talked about Rahane and Raghuvanshi batting together, about how that can be such a stalling [factor]. And their partnership wasn’t bad, but there’s still no point of difference in that partnership. They don’t take the bowling on. They don’t get to a point where the opposition captain has to make some serious decisions about reshuffling their team,” he added.
The former opener also questioned how KKR are deploying their key players, especially in terms of batting order positions, even with the level of experience available inside the dugout. He pointed to Cameron Green as an example of a role that, in his view, is not aligned with the player’s typical impact in T20 cricket. “When you’ve got as much experience in that dugout, you think that they’d be at least making the right calls at the right time. To Cameron Green batting at No. 6, that’s an unusual position for him. I don’t think he’s done that a huge amount in T20 cricket,” Finch said.
Finch further highlighted the difficulties Green faced, particularly when he had to bat under pressure against spin. “Starting against two spinners [Akeal Hosein and Noor Ahmad], he only lasted one ball. But that’s his worst nightmare, walking out to bat [against spin], particularly in a run chase,” Finch explained.
He also addressed the broader idea of selecting players based on auction value rather than match-up suitability. “I don’t think you ever pick a team on price tags. That would be really ignorant to do that. Because buying at the auction is a supply and demand of a skill set that you bring. It’s not about, well, we have to play this guy because we paid this much for him. He’s playing out of position. His best numbers have been at the top of the order,” Finch said.
Looking for possible alternatives, Finch suggested that Tim Seifert could provide more balance and attacking options higher up the order. “You’ve got Seifert sitting in the wings, he’s a specialist opener. Cameron Green hasn’t played a huge amount of T20 cricket [recently, because of injuries],” Finch said. “So you’ve got a guy there who brings a good skill set and really good form in Seifert, coming off a good [T20] World Cup. Who’s got the scoops, he’s got the ramps, he’s got a lot of different options,” he added.
Finch concluded by stressing that Seifert’s ability to vary his game makes him difficult to contain, which forces captains to keep adjusting their plans. “He is a player that you have to do multiple stages of planning for when you’re a captain coming up against someone like him, because he’s got so many different skills. So I think that there is a time when you just have to say, you know what, it hasn’t worked just yet. That’s not to say that it’s done and dusted for the tournament, but I think that it gets to a point where you go, right, we need to rejig our side and rethink about how we’re structuring it up,” he said.
