'If KKR Give Nitish a Free Hand Like CSK has Given to Dhoni, Lot of Things can be Solved'

A 49-run defeat at the hands of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Sunday has raised quite a few questions about the approach of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. Nitish Rana & Co have been far from finding the perfect balance in the side while too much changing and chopping isn’t helping either.

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The 2-time champions have played 7 matches so far and have made numerous changes, particularly to their opening pair. Litton Das was dropped for the match against the Chennai Super Kings on Sunday which saw Narayan Jagadeesan pairing with Jason Roy at the top of the order. Unfortunately, they were forced to open with Sunil Narine as Roy sustained an injury while fielding and was unable to open and came in to bat at number five.

Former India and KKR player, Harbhajan Singh has raised concerns about the team’s lack of consistency and frequent changes in their game plan. Speaking with Star Sports, the former off-spinner emphasized the need for the team to stick to a consistent strategy.

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“You have to give some belief. You need to go with a plan, that this is your plan for this season and the intent with which you will play your cricket. Of course, you have to make your game plan while respecting the opposition and keeping the conditions in mind," Harbhajan said on Star Sports in a post-match show.

“You stick to your game plan for just one match and you see something else happening in the next match, some more changes happening, Shardul Thakur was not playing in this team. So, it is beyond my understanding. It will not work out if you make changes in every match," he added.

Harbhajan opined that KKR should give Nitish Rana the same level of freedom in selecting the team as CSK gives to Dhoni.

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“There the role of the captain and the management becomes huge. In CSK, Dhoni has full support to do whatever he wants. They have so much faith in this captain and that faith is earned. Similarly, if they give Nitish a little free hand so that he can form the team he wants, a lot of things can be solved," the former spinner concluded.

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