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Knight Riders have not been their usual selves in 2021, but it’s not too late to fix things

Sreshth Shah03-May-20215:04

What’s ailing KKR’s batting this season?

Failing to set the tempo
Since the middle of last season, the Knight Riders have gone with a top-three which has plenty of potential but is the most inexperienced among all the teams. Nitish Rana and Rahul Tripathi are both uncapped and Shubman Gill is far from being a regular in India’s white-ball squads.Very few IPL teams in the tournament’s history have had a combined top three with only three games of international cricket between them, and the optimistic punt from the management has failed more than it has worked. Inconsistent scores from Rana, who has five innings of 22 and under, and Gill’s average of 18.85 at a strike rate of 117.85 have been the two biggest concerns.The alternatives – Karun Nair, Gurkeerat Singh, Venkatesh Iyer and Sheldon Jackson – are not too compelling either. Apart from Iyer, none of the others are regular openers in T20s, however, they may have the fire in their belly to show their worth. Perhaps, the Knight Riders could harness that.The other option is to bring in Tim Seifert, the New Zealand batter, but that would mean axing an overseas player. Although the issue of inexperience doesn’t get solved, at least a new thought process could bring in different results. After seven games for each side in IPL 2021, the Knight Riders have lost 12 powerplay wickets, the joint-most in the tournament. That along with a powerplay run-rate of 7.35 has hampered the side from setting the tempo early with the bat.Brendon McCullum, the coach, said in a press conference recently that he wants his top order to be aggressive, which they have failed to do. He said: “if you can’t , you change ” Expect a new top order for the rest of the season – the only question is what the personnel will be.Kolkata Knight Riders’ problems have started with the top this season•ESPNcricinfo LtdThe Morgan question
The ideal scenario for the Knight Riders was for their top three to set the base for eight to ten overs, following which a strong middle order of Eoin Morgan, Andre Russell and Dinesh Karthik could change gears to set a big total or complete a win.But with the top order eating nearly half the overs with very little on the board in most games, Morgan’s been forced to look for the big shots from the get-go. However, he has struggled with timing and when he hasn’t, he has fallen just before he could transition into his power-hitting mode. The lack of good scores from the top four has added more pressure on Russell and Karthik, who have also not been able to replicate their peak batting performances from 2019.On numbers alone, no one would bat an eyelid if Morgan was dropped after scoring only 92 runs in seven games, but when he is also wearing the captain’s armband, things get complicated, more so after the Knight Riders changed captains midway through last season. And with Karthik saying last year that captaincy hampers his own batting, the management will have to look beyond the obvious choice for a new leader. In any case – barring Rohit Sharma’s 2013 run with Mumbai Indians – changes in captaincy do not rescue teams from dire situations.McCullum has often stressed on role definition among the Knight Riders, so it’s unlikely Morgan will bat anywhere else either. The side likes Russell to come in at the 12-over mark and Karthik preferred at the death, and with both struggling against spinners who operate in the middle overs, the captain Morgan is set to stay at No. 4.4:01

McCullum: ‘I’ve asked time and again for us to be more aggressive’

The Narine conundrumWith a new bowling action that no longer has the sting of the Narine that lit up the IPL in his early days, does he merit a place in the XI when he no longer opens? Runs off the bat, as a floater, have been few and far in between. And with only three wickets in four games, there are others who can potentially have a greater impact.Although Narine isn’t a shabby opener option given the current struggles in the top order, the Knight Riders may still move to replace him with Shakib Al Hasan. Although Shakib may not replicate Narine’s batting strike rate, he is more consistent and there’s little to separate in the bowling.The other option is dropping Narine for Lockie Ferguson, who has the ability to be the enforcer in the bowling line-up by simply using his pace to trouble batters at any stage of the innings. That would also give the Knight Riders two express overseas quicks to torment oppositions, alongside Pat Cummins, and bring in one of Harbhajan Singh or Kuldeep Yadav as the second spinner. The third option is Seifert at the top for Narine, and add someone like Pawan Negi (or one of the two spinners) lower down.Sunil Narine’s new bowling action no longer has the sting of the old one•BCCIRethinking powerplay bowling plans
The original Moneyball team in the IPL, the Knight Riders have focused on match-ups. But that hasn’t worked out well with the ball.Take the example of Varun Chakravarthy against Royal Challenger Bangalore. With two wickets in the game’s second over, he had given the Knight Riders an early upper hand. Yet, next over, against the new batter Glen Maxwell, it was not Chakravarthy, but left-arm spinner Shakib bowling, who could potentially get the ball to turn away from the batter. Maxwell ended up hitting 78.Against the Delhi Capitals while defending a smaller total, it was Shivam Mavi opening the bowling – against the in-form pair of Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw – and not Cummins, who arrived later to pick three wickets, an effort that came too late to have any impact on the match result.Against Chennai Super Kings, on a pitch where Deepak Chahar ended up taking four wickets in the Powerplay, the Knight Riders bowled three overs of spin. The Super Kings openers quietly compiled 54 for 0 to set a strong platform. They finished on 220 for 3.There is merit in their most experienced bowler Cummins taking the new ball in the hunt for early wickets, with Prasidh Krishna and/or Ferguson from the other end. Then bring in Shakib or Narine, leave Chakravarthy to control the middle overs, and once again use the Ferguson-Cummins combo alongside Russell at the death to close out the innings. It’s conventional, and yet propitious. But the Knight Riders – more often than not – prefer taking the path less travelled.

MatériaMais Notícias

O técnico Fernando Diniz pode ter problemas para escalar o Fluminense no clássico contra o Flamengo, no sábado (16). A partida vale pela volta da semifinal do Campeonato Carioca e acontece a partir das 21h.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Tricolor agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Fluminense

Ganso e Germán Cano não participaram de alguns treinos durante a semana e se tornaram dúvida para a partida. Confira a nota divulgada pelo Fluminense abaixo.

O jogador Paulo Henrique Ganso deixou o campo, na última partida, com dores na panturrilha da perna direita. O meia, que iniciou o tratamento na apresentação, está entregue à transição para voltar a treinar.

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O atacante Germán Cano sofreu uma entorse no joelho direito no último jogo e está em tratamento no CT Carlos Castilho.

O meia tem problemas na panturrilha, chegou a ser poupado de treinos e a expectativa era de que ele voltasse às atividades no decorrer dos dias. Isso, porém, não ocorreu. No caso de Cano, o argentino reclama de dores no joelho.

Com isso, as possibilidades de substituição são o meia Lima o atacante John Kennedy. Fernando Diniz ainda conta com Lelê como centroavante para substituir Cano.

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André pode ser recuado para a zaga, Lima faria o papel do volante, e Renato Augusto ficaria na função de Ganso.

Uma provável escalação do Fluminense para enfrentar o Flamengo tem: Fábio; Guga, Felipe Melo (Manoel), André e Marcelo; Martinelli, Lima e Renato Augusto; Arias, Keno e John Kennedy.

MISSÃO DIFÍCIL

O Fluminense precisa reverter um placar adverso de 2 a 0, conquistado pelo rival na partida de ida.

Tudo sobre

Campeonato CariocaFernando DinizFlamengoFluminense

Leeds United have now reportedly sent scouts to watch a standout European winger, who’s also attracted the interest of Manchester United.

Farke prepared for "top class" Liverpool

When the fixtures were released, this would been a week that many Leeds fans dreaded. By the end of this weekend, the Whites will have faced Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool in consecutive games in the most difficult run of games they’ve had so far this season. But what began as a nightmare may yet leave Leeds in dreamland.

Daniel Farke’s side were minutes away from securing a point from behind at the Etihad against Man City and then eased past Chelsea in shocking fashion on Wednesday. Now, they have the chance to compile the misery on a frail Liverpool side at Elland Road – making it six points from a possible nine.

It’s the greatest opportunity that Leeds will get to beat the Premier League champions, but Farke was quick to point out that Liverpool are still a “top class” side in his pre-match press conference.

Those in Yorkshire may have to get used to competing against the top six on and off the pitch, having also reportedly joined the race to sign Manchester United target Nilson Angulo.

Leeds join race to sign Nilson Angulo

According to TeamTalk, Leeds have now joined the race to sign Angulo after their scouts were spotted watching the Anderlecht winger in action. The Whites are joined by United, Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford in what is set to be a frantic Premier League battle.

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Dubbed one of Europe’s standout wingers by TeamTalk, the interest in Angulo should come as no surprise. The 22-year-old has taken his game to new levels in Belgium this season and looks destined for English football.

As scout Jacek Kulig pointed out, it was a “fantastic” start from Angulo this season and a start which has since seen him take his total to four goals and eight assists in all competitions.

It would be a major coup if Leeds managed to fend off competition from their rivals and sign the talented winger.

Leeds now prioritising £35m move to sign South American defender ahead of Juventus

Jed Hoyer plans to make more win-now moves for the Chicago Cubs as the MLB trade deadline approaches and has identified one area he plans to improve.

During an appearance on MLB Network, the Cubs president of baseball operations told host Brian Kenny that he'll be focused on adding pitching. After making an aggressive move by trading for pending free agent Kyle Tucker, Hoyer has the Cubs in win-now mode.

"I think we're not quite in trade season yet, but as I've said, I think pitching is the most obvious thing we'll look to add, look to continue to add depth in the rotation and in the bullpen," Hoyer said. "Our position playing group so far has been really good."

His segment is below.

The Cubs are currently second in MLB in runs scored (374), fourth in OPS (.775), fifth in home runs (94) and third in stolen bases (84). They have an elite offense but need pitching depth with Justin Steele out for the season.

Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga have been good leading the rotation, but more will be needed if Chicago hopes to contend for a World Series title.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl certainly likes a challenge. To go from the situation at Sheffield Wednesday to taking on a team that had a disastrous spell under Russell Martin takes some guts.

The Light Blues had a dismal start to the season under their former manager, who won one match in the Scottish Premiership, but things are already starting to turn around.

Rangers won five of the 17 matches that Martin was in the dugout for before they decided to part ways with him last month after a 1-1 draw with Falkirk in the Premiership.

Rohl has provided the Gers with an instant lift in the league. He has won all three of his matches in the top-flight, most recently with a 3-0 win over Dundee before the international break.

The former Sheffield Wednesday boss has, though, lost both of his Europa League games in charge, to Brann and Roma, which is a reminder that there is plenty of work that needs to be done.

Too many of the summer signings made by Martin and Kevin Thelwell have either flopped or have been too inconsistent, and there may be some decisions to make in January.

The summer signings who should be let go by Rangers in January

The new owners provided Thelwell with the backing to build a squad with the intention of competing for trophies in the 2025/26 campaign, but it did not go to plan under the previous coaching staff.

As you can see in the graphic above, the likes of Youssef Chermiti, Bojan Miovski, Joe Rothwell, and Mikey Moore came through the door to bolster the club’s options across the pitch.

Rothwell is one player whose future may be in doubt heading into January. At the age of 30, he was surely brought in to make an instant impact, but the central midfielder has only featured in two of Rohl’s six games and failed to make the matchday squad in the last two, per Sofascore.

Emmanuel Fernandez is another summer signing who may be on the move in January, as the young centre-back has only made three appearances in all competitions. A loan move away from Ibrox to play regular game time could be the best decision for his short-term future, if he is not going to get increased game time at Ibrox.

The former Peterborough man may not be the only centre-back who departs Glasgow when the January transfer window opens, though, as the manager should also send Nasser Djiga back to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

As you can see in the table above, the Burkina Faso international has been in and out of the team in recent months, under Martin, Stevie Smith, and Rohl, without being able to nail down a place in the starting XI.

Wolves presumably sent Djiga to Ibrox to play regular football and develop as a player, but he has not done enough with his chances on the pitch to prove that the manager should make him a first-choice option.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The Premier League loanee has failed to convince with his performances for the Light Blues, and Rohl could end his Ibrox career by unleashing James Tavernier in a rarely-seen role on a regular basis.

Why Rangers should part ways with Nasser Djiga in January

The Light Blues should look to cancel Djiga’s loan deal in the January transfer window because he has not been a reliable performer for the Scottish giants so far this season.

Heart & Hand podcast creator David Edgar described him as “rotten” and Four Lads Had A Dream claimed that he “genuinely looks lost” during the loss to Celtic in the semi-final of the League Cup earlier this month.

Back in August, Rangers icon Ally McCoist said that Djiga broke “every rule as a centre-back in the planet” when he failed to usher the ball back to Jack Butland against Club Brugge in a Champions League qualifier, which turned out to be a costly mistake.

This shows that fan media and pundits alike have been left unconvinced by his showings at centre-back on the pitch, whilst his lack of consistent game time suggests that his multiple managers have also been unconvinced.

Whilst the January transfer window could be utilised to sign a new centre-back to replace Djiga, Rohl could end the defender’s Ibrox career by playing Tavernier as a centre-back.

With Max Aarons at the club on loan from Bournemouth, Rangers have another right-back option who can fill in and allow the captain to play as a right-sided centre-back, which would negate any need for Djiga to continue his loan beyond January.

As you can see in the table above, Tavernier has rarely played at centre-back for the Gers, with just seven appearances, but he does have some experience in that role.

The English full-back played as a right-sided centre-back in the 3-1 win over Kilmarnock and the 2-0 defeat to Roma, although both of those outings were as part of a back four.

It would be interesting to see how he fares as a right-sided centre-back in a back four for Rangers under Rohl, as he has won 52% of his aerial duels in the Premiership this season, per Sofascore, which suggests that he could hold his own in aerial battles in the heart of the defence.

Unleashing the captain in that new role in a back four, with John Souttar and Derek Cornelius also available for selection, would allow the manager to ruthlessly ditch Djiga and end his underwhelming loan in January.

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Now, though, it is down to the German head coach to decide whether or not to experiment with this tactical change in order to end Djiga’s time with the Gers.

Matt Henry went up three spots among Test bowlers to be ranked fourth after his nine-wicket haul against Zimbabwe

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Aug-20253:22

Bangar: ‘Jaiswal’s Sehwag-esque impact makes it easier for batters to follow’

India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has broken into the top five of the ICC Test batters’ rankings. Jaiswal scored 118 at The Oval in the fifth Test – his second century of the series – that helped him finish the series with a tally of 411 runs at an average of 41.10 that took him up three places to fifth behind Joe Root, Harry Brook, Kane Williamson and Steven Smith.Fast bowlers Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna achieved their career-best ratings of 674 and 368 points respectively after the fifth Test. Siraj went up 12 places to 15th spot whereas Prasidh moved up 25 spots to be ranked 59th. These are also the best Test rankings for both the bowlers.Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue similarly also attained their career-best positions after sharing eight wickets at The Oval. Atkinson’s rise helped him break into the top ten for the first time – joint tenth with Mitchell Starc – whereas Tongue rose 14 places to 46th.From the two-Test series going in Zimbabwe, Daryl Mitchell went up four places to ninth among batters while his team-mate Matt Henry went up to fourth spot among bowlers. Henry was the Player of the Match in the first Test after he finished with figures of 6 for 39 and 3 for 51 in New Zealand’s nine-wicket win.