Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has called Kolkata Knight Riders’ campaign in IPL 2022 and feels that too much chopping and changing has hampered the team massively in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League. KKR have been in the news for making team changes, sometimes as many as three, match after match this season and the former swashbuckling batter feels this has sent a sense of insecurity among players, due to which the team has struggled to come together. (Also Read: ‘Ran up and bowled Hardik the perfect bouncer which almost cleaned him up’ – Bishop impressed with ‘standout’ IPL bowler)
“Too much of chopping and changing has been a reason for KKR’s dismal show because the players think it’s their last game and they’ve got to perform or they might be out. I don’t think this is the right way to go in this format of the game,” Pietersen said on the Cricket Live show on Star Sports.
“This format is about building the players up, giving them the confidence and helping them feel like the team they’re involved in, the brand they are associated with, and the band they’re playing for are committed. The players want to feel like they have the commitment, they need to feel like they can give that commitment and I don’t think you give that commitment if there is too much chopping and changing.”
KKR are currently placed sixth on the points table, almost out of contention for a playoff berth, a scenario which will get confirmed, if they lose to Lucknow Super Giants on Wednesday. LSG on the other hand have enjoyed a memorable IPL debut, and are currently third on the points table. A win tonight will guarantee them a place in the Playoffs and send KKR packing.
“It’s serious business now. You can feel as good as you can in the four or five weeks of this tournament but you can feel down in the dumps if you play poorly now at the business end of the tournament. So the guys at the top of the table like Lucknow want to get those two crucial points against Kolkata Knight Riders and secure their playoffs berth,” added Pietersen.
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