IPL 2023: KKR loss boils down to SRH skipper Aiden Markram, says Deep Dasgupta

Former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta has said that SRH’s bitter loss to KKR does boil down to Aiden Markram after his uncharacteristic knock on Thursday.

KKR had posted 171 in their 20 overs on the back of some brilliant knocks by Rinku Singh and Nitish Rana as the SRH bowlers didn’t allow the others to get away on the day.

In response, after a brilliant start, SRH lost four quick wickets as KKR came back into the contest. Markram and Heinrich Klaasen got the hosts on course for win with their partnership. However, the wickets of the duo, especially the SRH skipper, turned the tide in KKR’s favour and they won the match by five runs.

Speaking on Cricinfo, Dasgupta said that the SRH innings did seem alright for the most part before they started to slip up. The former wicketkeeper said that it does boil down to Markram.

Dasgupta said that the way the SRH skipper got out and the timing of his dismissal turned the game around. The former wicketkeeper said that when one looks back at the innings it doesn’t paint a good picture and the South African batter will need to take a bit of the blame.

“It seemed alright. Then you suddenly realized they have allowed the game to slip. I think it boils down to Markram actually. The way he got out, the time when he got out. I think that innings, if he had finished it, it would have been a really good innings. It hasn’t and you look back at the innings and go, not a good strike-rate, got out at the wrong time and so maybe, he has got to take a bit of the blame I guess,” said Dasgupta.

SRH have five games remaining and will need to win all of them to keep their hopes of the playoffs alive.