Kolkata, April 22 (IANS) After Kolkata Knight Riders suffered their fifth loss of the IPL 2025, mentor Dwayne Bravo admitted that the defending champions didn't get the start they wanted in their chase and also faltered at the end to slump to a 39-run loss against Gujarat Titans.

Chasing a target of 200 runs, KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane’s half-century went in vain as his side eventually fell short in the contest.

Not shying away from the result, team mentor Dwayne Bravo said, “We didn’t score enough runs. Credit to our bowling group, they did a fantastic job restricting them to under 200 and really gave us a chance at the halfway stage. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the start we wanted in the powerplay and faltered in the end.”

Shedding some light on the tactical decisions that led to the talented young batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi batting at number nine, Bravo shared, “We didn’t start the game for him to bat at number nine, but the way the game panned out, eventually, he ended up there. We’re one of those teams that are blessed to have quality left-handers and right-handers in our top order.

"So, we try to use that to the best of our ability, especially when the opposition has quality spinners. Unfortunately, Angkrish had to keep sliding down the order.”

Further highlighting the young batter’s positive performances throughout the season, Bravo added, “He is one of the better players in the setup in terms of the runs scored this season. However, after the powerplay, we knew they (Gujarat Titans) were going to come up with their left-arm orthodox and leg spinners. So, we always wanted to have that left-right combination.”

Asked if the form of fellow West Indian Andre Russell is a concern, Bravo backed his former teammate, saying, "Russell is an experienced and a successful player. When he walks in to bat every time, there are only 14-15 deliveries left. So, the work that needs to be done is tough. We need to give him a chance to finish like he is accustomed to doing over the years for KKR. We need to back our finishers and allow them to finish games."

“The finishers have had a lot of success in the past so it’s important to try and back them. There’s a fine line between backing a player and trying to come up with the best combination that we can try that could give the team the spark that it’s missing. So, it’s something we have to discuss as a group and then look forward to the next game,” Bravo concluded.

After the loss, KKR are sitting seventh in the table with just three wins in eight games while GT maintained their top spot after securing their sixth win in eight outings.