KKR head coach Abhishek Nayar did not spend too much time searching for complicated reasons after Royal Challengers Bengaluru chased down 193 with relative comfort in Raipur on Wednesday night.
For him, the turning point was simple enough.
“When you drop Virat Kohli, especially in a chase, it becomes very difficult,” Nayar said after KKR’s six-wicket defeat.
Kohli made KKR pay dearly for the dropped chance on 21, finishing unbeaten on 105 off 60 balls and guiding RCB home with the kind of control and composure that has defined his career for years.
Nayar admitted KKR had enough runs on the board but felt the game slowly slipped away through a series of small moments that did not go in their favour.
“As I said earlier, the score was fine on this pitch,” Nayar said.
“There are a lot of things that could have been better. Virat’s catch was a very tough one. The Angkrish catch, you would expect him to take.”
The KKR head coach also pointed to the absence of Varun Chakravarthy, whose injury once again left a significant hole in the middle overs.
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“At the end of the day, cricket works like that. If we had another 10-15 runs, maybe the game changes. If those catches are taken, maybe the game changes. If Varun Chakravarthy plays, maybe the game changes,” Nayar said.
KKR have relied heavily on the Sunil Narine-Varun Chakravarthy combination in recent seasons, and Nayar admitted the side continues to miss the mystery spinner’s control and wicket-taking ability.
“It is an open secret that we have done really well with the Sunny-Varun combination. It is unfortunate that we have missed him a lot this season,” Nayar said.
“This is the second time he has had a fracture, which is unfortunate for him. You will always miss a Varun Chakravarthy.”
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Despite the defeat, Nayar felt KKR’s batting effort was competitive on the Raipur pitch, especially considering there was not much dew later in the evening.
“Midway through the innings, we felt anywhere between 180 and 200 would be a good score. There was no dew as well, so that was not a factor,” he said.
Nayar, though, found positives in Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s innings. The youngster made 71 off 46 balls after KKR lost early wickets, and the coach felt the knock showed maturity beyond his age.
“I was very impressed with the way he batted because the ball was really nipping around early on. Hazlewood and Bhuvi are world-class bowlers,” Nayar said.
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“At no point did he look uncomfortable. He looked like he belonged there.”
Nayar also revealed KKR had spent considerable time helping Rinku Singh work through a lean patch earlier this season.
“For Rinku, it was about getting him batting time and also making a small technical adjustment,” he said.
“A lot of groundwork went into helping him regain belief in his game and trust that he can clear boundaries again.”
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KKR next take on Gujarat Titans at Eden Gardens on Saturday.
