Five matches, zero wins and no answers: KKR's 2024 title hangover shows no sign of lifting
From champions to crisis in two years
Two years ago, KKR were celebrating their third IPL title. Today they sit bottom of the table with zero wins from five matches, their only point a washout against Punjab Kings in Kolkata. The decline is not a blip. It is a pattern, and every week it gets harder to argue that things will turn around on their own.
Look at the results. Crushed by 65 runs by Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens. Chased down by Mumbai Indians in record-breaking fashion. Outfought by Lucknow Super Giants in a match they had positioned themselves to win. Beaten by 32 runs by a CSK side that had looked fragile for the opening fortnight. Nobody has come close to beating KKR; they have beaten themselves, over and over, in different ways each time.
The captaincy question is only part of it
Ajinkya Rahane's captaincy has attracted the most scrutiny, and some of that criticism is fair. His toss calls have been questionable. His own batting strike rate feels out of step with the modern T20 game. He was fined Rs 12 lakh for a slow over-rate against CSK, which tells you something about the tempo of this team under pressure. But replacing Rahane tomorrow would not suddenly fix an attack that has been leaking runs or a middle order that has folded in every chase.
Cameron Green was supposed to be the headline signing. Five innings in, he has 56 runs and done nothing memorable with the ball. KKR paid big money for him on the assumption that his all-round ability would anchor the middle overs. Instead he has been anonymous, and the side has no Plan B when he fails. The pace bowling has been a bigger problem still, with no consistent threat to worry opposing batters in the powerplay or at the death.
One young batter should not be carrying the batting
Ankrish Raghuvanshi has been the lone bright spot. He has passed 45 three times in five innings and looked comfortable against pace and spin. But he is 21 years old and should be learning his trade alongside experienced heads, not propping up the batting order on his own. The fact that a young player is KKR's most reliable run-scorer tells you everything about the state of this squad.
Where does it go from here?
KKR face Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on Friday night, and anything short of a win will leave them with the worst start in franchise history. The fixture list does not get much kinder after that. At some point, the conversation will shift from what is going wrong to whether the season can be salvaged at all. Right now, it is hard to see what changes. The squad looks unbalanced, the leadership looks uncertain, and the confidence has drained away.
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