Former Australia captain Aaron Finch has expressed concern over Kolkata Knight Riders and their struggles in IPL 2026, pointing to issues in both tactics and overall approach as the team remains without a win this season.
After KKR’s 32-run defeat to Chennai Super Kings on April 14, Finch was critical of the team’s performance during the chase. “Certainly wasn’t pretty. A lot of question marks about KKR, particularly in that run chase. Some of their tactics were very questionable,” Finch said.
Tactical Decisions Under Scrutiny
Finch acknowledged the decision to promote Sunil Narine to the top of the order as a positive move, even though it did not deliver the desired result. “We praised the decision for Sunil Narine to go to the top of the order,” Finch said. “It didn’t come off today [24 in 17 balls], but it was something different. At least they tried it.”
However, he was less convinced by other aspects of the batting strategy. He highlighted the partnership between Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi, suggesting it lacked momentum. “We talked about Rahane and Raghuvanshi batting together, about how that can be such a stalling [factor]…They don’t take the bowling on,” Finch said.
Questions Over Batting Order
Finch also raised concerns about the role assigned to Cameron Green in the middle order. “To Cameron Green batting at No. 6, that’s an unusual position for him. I don’t think he’s done that a huge amount in T20 cricket,” he said.
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Looking ahead, Finch suggested that KKR may need to reassess their lineup, including the possibility of bringing in Tim Seifert. “You’ve got Seifert sitting in the wings, he’s a specialist opener…You’ve got a guy there who brings a good skill set and really good form in Seifert, coming off a good [T20] World Cup,” Finch explained.
Next Fixture
Kolkata Knight Riders will look to turn their season around when they face Gujarat Titans on April 17 in Ahmedabad.
