IPL 2021 Final: KKR coach McCullum opens up on reason behind defeat

IPL 2021 Final: KKR coach Brendon McCullum opens up on reason behind defeat in final says, “Our middle order could not perform up to the mark’ – MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings thrashed Kolkata Knight Riders by 27 runs in the IPL 2021 final to lift their 4th IPL trophy here at the Dubai International Stadium, Dubai. KKR’s top order gave them a solid start while chasing 193 but the middle order failed to live up to the expectation. After the match in the press conference, KKR coach Brendon McCullum also said that the disappointing performance by middle-order cost them the game.

Thank you, MSD 🙌#KKR #CSKvKKR #AmiKKR #IPL2021 #IPLFinal pic.twitter.com/fTnzZmXcer

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) October 15, 2021

CSK becomes IPL 2021 Champion: How Sakshi Dhoni, Ziva reacted to CSK’s victory- see pics

“It is a fair assessment that our middle order did not perform up to the mark. Our bowlers were outstanding, we fielded well and our top order was exceptional but our middle order could not deliver. It happens to one guy sometimes but for us, it was most of the middle order. It happens in the game sometimes but we are really proud of the way we played this season,” Brendon McCullum said.

CSK becomes IPL 2021 Champion: How Sakshi Dhoni, Ziva reacted to CSK’s victory- see pics

When asked if Andre Russell was considered to be selected in the playing XI for the final, McCullum admitted that Russell was not fully fit and thus the team decided to go with the players that helped them reach the final.

Not the way we wanted to end the season but it’s been a journey to remember. Thank you to all you fans for believing in us & always getting behind us in not only the good times but the toughest of times as well.

For the fans. For the badge. Always. 💜💛#KKR #AmiKKR #WeAreKKR pic.twitter.com/R6WlnCpufg

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) October 15, 2021

“Andre Russell had a hamstring tear and he worked really really hard to make himself available. It was still a risk there. I thought that the risk to play him was too high. And in the match, we had another hamstring injury as Rahul Tripathi suffered one. Such is the nature of hamstrings, you are never really sure that they have fully recovered or not. So in the end we decided to go with the players that worked really hard to get us to the final. It is such a shame that we could not win the trophy but we were outplayed by a great CSK side,” the KKR coach revealed.

“It was really a situation there he was really captaining his skin out. He was captaining the side as well as I have seen anyone captain in a T20 competition. I thought he was driving us forward with his captaincy. But unfortunately. The runs weren’t there for him. We tried to put him in those conditions at number 5,4 where he has been very successful in T20 cricket. But unfortunately, it wasn’t to be,” he said on Eoin Morgan’s captaincy.

Cricket