Big Picture
"We can do a CSK" is the line coming out of the Kolkata Knight Riders' camp. However, in contrast to the consistent performances from more than one player that took Chennai Super Kings to consecutive titles in 2010 and 2011, Knight Riders have their shortcomings, evident during their dismal run during last year's Champions League Twenty20 in South Africa, where they earned a solitary (and irrelevant) victory before making an exit. Annoyingly for Knight Riders, the difficult questions continue to persist. Gautam Gambhir and Jacques Kallis, the top two run-makers for Knight Riders, are fighting their individual battles to stay fit and find form. Gambhir, who is also the Knight Riders' captain, remains unsettled after a prolonged drought of runs that forced the Indian selectors to drop him for the home Test series against Australia last month. This tournament will be a litmus test for a cricketer well-known for his determination and character. The IPL would be the first time Kallis plays active cricket since pulling a hamstring before the final match of the home Test series against Pakistan in February. Kallis who has had several niggles in the past year, failed to excel even in home conditions during the Champions League, compiling just 18 runs. He then failed during the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, managing 24 runs in three innings across five matches.
"We can do a CSK" is the line coming out of the Kolkata Knight Riders' camp. However, in contrast to the consistent performances from more than one player that took Chennai Super Kings to consecutive titles in 2010 and 2011, Knight Riders have their shortcomings, evident during their dismal run during last year's Champions League Twenty20 in South Africa, where they earned a solitary (and irrelevant) victory before making an exit. Annoyingly for Knight Riders, the difficult questions continue to persist. Gautam Gambhir and Jacques Kallis, the top two run-makers for Knight Riders, are fighting their individual battles to stay fit and find form. Gambhir, who is also the Knight Riders' captain, remains unsettled after a prolonged drought of runs that forced the Indian selectors to drop him for the home Test series against Australia last month. This tournament will be a litmus test for a cricketer well-known for his determination and character. The IPL would be the first time Kallis plays active cricket since pulling a hamstring before the final match of the home Test series against Pakistan in February. Kallis who has had several niggles in the past year, failed to excel even in home conditions during the Champions League, compiling just 18 runs. He then failed during the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, managing 24 runs in three innings across five matches.
