“Pat Cummins’ day is not complete unless he gets hit for 10-12 runs per over” – Aakash Chopra on KKR’s bowling issues in IPL 2022

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Pat Cummins has been taken to the cleaners in IPL 2022 thus far [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra has highlighted that the Kolkata Knight Riders‘ (KKR) insipid bowling has proved to be their stumbling block in IPL 2022 thus far.

KKR’s bowlers allowed the Rajasthan Royals (RR) to post a massive score of 217/5 on the board in last night’s Indian Premier League encounter between the two sides. Although their batters tried their best, they fell short by seven runs as Shreyas Iyer’s side suffered their fourth loss of the tournament.

While reflecting on KKR’s defeat in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra pinpointed their bowling issues. He said the following about Pat Cummins:

“Jos (Buttler) scored a century and once again exposed your one weakness. If you see the entire bowling lineup, Umesh Yadav still did well in the initial few matches, Sunil Narine is the only constant. Everybody else is getting hammered. Pat Cummins is reading the table of 50. It seems Pat Cummins’ day is not complete unless he gets hit for 10-12 runs per over, he is getting hit so much.”

While highlighting that Varun Chakravarthy has been found wanting, the former KKR player added that the franchise’s inconsistency in selection has not helped their cause either. Chopra explained:

“Varun Chakravarthy is not even able to complete his overs. Shivam Mavi – his last over was still okay but he has been in and out. You played Shivam Mavi in the initial matches and then you dropped him. Then you play Aman Khan one match and then you drop him and get Shivam Mavi back.”

Cummins, who conceded 50 runs in his four overs against RR, has an economy rate of 12.00 in IPL 2022 to date. Chakravarthy has been taken for 75 runs in the five overs he has bowled in KKR’s last two matches.

“It is looking a little pale at the moment” – Aakash Chopra on KKR’s bowling

Andre Russell is primarily being used as a death bowler [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra concluded by stating that KKR’s bowling has not lived up to pre-tournament expectations. He elaborated:

“You are getting Andre Russell to bowl but he also gets hit in the end. This bowling unit was expected to be a very maverick kind of bowling unit but it is looking a little pale at the moment because Varun Chakravarthy does not have the form or confidence, Pat Cummins has been very very expensive and who else, this is your bowling attack.”

The Kolkata Knight Riders bowlers gave an excellent account of themselves in their first four matches of IPL 2022, with Umesh Yadav leading the way. However, they have been pummeled by the Delhi Capitals, Sunrisers Hyderabad and RR batters in their last three encounters.

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