Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) mentor Dwayne Bravo admitted the team’s batters lacked confidence and failed to handle the pressure well. Speaking after KKR’s loss to Gujarat Titans, he said the bowlers did their job by keeping the opposition under 200. But KKR’s top and middle-order struggled to chase the 199-run target.
Bravo pointed out that KKR lost momentum early, scoring only 45 runs in the powerplay and losing both openers. Unlike the Titans, who built their innings after a similar start, KKR couldn’t recover. Rahane and Iyer failed to accelerate, and their quick dismissals left KKR at 91 for 4.
Andre Russell tried to fight back with a few big hits, but he too was dismissed by Rashid Khan. Despite Russell’s poor run this season, Bravo backed him, saying the whole batting unit was struggling. He said the top order must step up so finishers like Russell get a chance to win matches.
Bravo dismissed concerns about the pitch and praised Gujarat’s performance. He said both teams played on the same surface, but KKR didn’t win the key moments. “We must play better as a team,” he said, “especially in all three areas—batting, bowling, and fielding.”