Manish Pandey Looks Back On KKR's Season, Speaks Upon Team’s Shortcomings: 'We Could Have Had A Better Tournament'

IPL 2025: Kolkata Knight Riders' Manish Pandey expressed his thoughts on the team's performance so far and said that they could have been a better-performing side and that they lost some match-ups in the middle. But he affirmed the team is now focusing on the two remaining matches and is eager to put up a performance once the Indian Premier League resumes.

Manish Pandey Gets Honest About KKR's IPL 2025 Season

Kolkata Knight Riders have had a topsy-turvy season, to say the least. The defending champions suffered setbacks in crucial points of play, which have rattled their chance to make it to the playoffs with ease. The spot hangs in the balance for them, and they have to deliver strong and grind harder to place themselves in the top four spots.

KKR can make it happen tomorrow when they enter the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium as the IPL 2025 resumes from May 17. Ahead of the match-up, Knight Riders' Manish Pandey expressed his thoughts on the team's overall performance throughout the season.

"You know, nothing much to lose from here. Actually, we just thought we could have had a better tournament as a team. We were discussing that, but nevertheless, we lost a few games in the middle.

"If you think about those crucial games, you wish now that you had won those games. But yeah, definitely two more games to go. Everybody is wanting to perform," Manish Pandey said at the pre-match press conference, as quoted by PTI.

Also Read: Abhimanyu Easwaran To Lead India A Squad In England, Karun Nair, Ishan Kishan Rewarded With Call-ups

What Went Wrong For The Kolkata Knight Riders?

One of the Kolkata Knight Riders' biggest weaknesses was their inconsistent middle-order. Players like Ramandeep Singh, Venkatesh Iyer and Angkrish Raghuvanshi often fail to capitalise on the chance they receive and lose their wickets early. While Rinku Singh and Andre Russell managed to get some runs on the scoreboard, their efforts are sometimes not enough to uplift the side in a drowning situation, as the ship has already hit the iceberg.

With just two league-stage matches left, the Ajinkya Rahane-led Kolkata Knight Riders would have to showcase a dominant outing once the IPL 2025 resumes. Their first match, as per the revised schedule, would be against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on May 17, 2025.

Also Read: 'I Am Still Playing One Format': Rohit Sharma Delivers An Enthusiastic Speech During Wankhede Stand Unveil, Appreciates MCA's Gesture