Former Australia captain Aaron Finch did not hold back in his assessment of Kolkata Knight Riders’ faltering campaign, stating unequivocally that the franchise has `only themselves to blame` after rain extinguished their final hopes of defending their IPL crown on Saturday.
Burdened by the legacy of past triumphs and facing a recalibrated team hierarchy, the Knight Riders struggled to find their rhythm throughout the season. Their performances lacked fluency, occasional, patchy wins were overshadowed by extended losing streaks that pushed them into precarious, must-win scenarios late in the tournament.
Despite a slew of new inclusions, KKR failed to recapture their championship-winning formula. The team’s lack of consistency and inability to close out critical matches eventually led to their premature exit from the playoff race. With two fixtures remaining, the defending champions were left with the daunting task of overcoming a well-oiled Royal Challengers Bengaluru side that had been operating in near-perfect sync.
However, any hopes of a resurgence were thwarted by relentless rainfall that arrived well before the scheduled start and refused to relent, leading to a complete washout of the high-stakes encounter. The shared point sealed KKR’s fate, bringing a bitter and anticlimactic end to their title defence.
Finch, in his candid evaluation, pinpointed key tactical missteps that plagued the Knight Riders. He notably criticised the underutilisation of Andre Russell, suggesting that the demotion of the explosive all-rounder limited his ability to alter the course of matches. According to Finch, Russell’s match-winning capabilities were stifled by poor role definition, an error symptomatic of the broader strategic flaws that haunted KKR throughout the season.
“It didn`t start well for them. Andre Russell, being the match-winner that he is and has been for such a long time, was batting too far down the order for much of the tournament. He simply wasn`t given the opportunities to influence games the way he can,” Finch said on JioHotstar.
The 38-year-old former top-order batter reflected on the manner of KKR`s defeat against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Kolkata, who had found their groove with two victories on the trot, surrendered to a two-wicket defeat, courtesy of the finishing touches applied by Chennai captain MS Dhoni. For Finch, it echoed one of the several moments where his former side just didn`t click.
“They`ve only got themselves to blame. They almost kicked themselves after that last game against CSK – it was theirs to win. The match was almost wrapped up, and they still couldn`t cross the line, which turned out to be an incredible win for Chennai. Throughout the season, there were too many moments where KKR just didn`t click,” he added.
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