'Can't play Andre Russell at No.7 and Rinku Singh at No. 8': Kaif shreds KKR after narrow loss against LSG

The Kolkata Knight Riders seemed to be in cruise control in their daunting 239-run chase till the 13th over of their IPL 2025 match against Lucknow Super Giants. It was when captain Ajinkya Rahane chipped a Shardul Thakur full toss straight to the covers in the last ball of the 13th over that things started to turn in LSG's favour. KKR did not help their cause by delaying the arrival of Andre Russell and Rinku Singh - two of their biggest hitters.

Russell batted at No.7 while Rinku was sent in after him. In the end, KKR lost the match by four runs despite a late onslaught from Rinku. As soon as the match ended, former India batter Mohammad Kaif said slammed the KKR team management for playing Russel at No.7 and Rinku at No.8 in a run chase where the required rate was 12 runs from the start.

Kaif said KKR need to let go of their obsession with maintaining the right-left combination and instead focus on the batter's overall ability.

"KKR needs to avoid taking right-left theory too seriously. When chasing 239, you can't play Rusell at No.7 and Rinku at No. 8. Way too late for your big hitters," Kaif wrote on X.

KKR lose their way after Rahane dismissal, Rinku's late hitting goes in vain

After Rahane's dismissal for a well-made 61 off 35 balls, KKR sent Ramandeep Singh at No.5 when they needed 77 runs off 42 balls. The right-hander was out for 1 off 2 balls and there was still no sign of either Russell or Rinku as in walked Angrish Raghuvanshi, who has been in good form in this IPL but is not known as someone who would tear apart bowling attacks with his big hitting.

KKR kept losing wickets. After hitting a boundary, Raghuvanshi provided a simple catch to LSG captain Rishabh Pant while trying to reverse sweep an Avesh Khan delivery. In-walked Andre Russell but KKR lost set batter Venkatesh Iyer for 4. From 162/2, KKR went to 177/6, losing five wickets for just 15 runs.

Russell hit a six in the 16th over but was holed out at long-off in the first ball of the 17th over. Rinku hit two sixes and six fours in the next four overs, but it was not enough for KKR to get over the line. He got no support from the other end and had to deny singles in the penultimate over. In the last over, Harshit Rana got a four off Ravi Bishnoi's first ball but missed the next. Rinku had an impossible task of getting 19 off 3 balls when Harshit gave him the strike. The left-hander hit two fours and a six to remain unbeaten on 38 off 15 balls as KKR came very close to pulling off a big run chase. They lost the match by four runs.

This was KKR's third defeat of four or fewer runs against LSG.