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Kolkata have lost 5 consecutive matches in the IPL and the constant chopping and changing of players in the team has not helped matters. Image Credit: Supplied

When a team keeps on changing players for every match, results more often or not will not go your away. That’s what is the case with Kolkata Knight Riders who have changed three players each in the last three games and have lost all three.

Kolkata who made a very good start to this year’s IPL winning three of the four games to begin have totally lost their way and gone on to lose their last five games in a row and are sitting at number eight on the table after 9 games with just six points. They have to win all five remaining games with higher NRR now to make it to the playoffs.

The captain Shreyas Iyer said the combination “has not done well for us”, he then corrected by saying “the execution has not come hence the changes” when asked why so many changes were made to the team by Knick Knight at the toss.

Players need time

Teams in the past like Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings have always given a long rope to players and the results have been shown with the number of titles they have won. “Franchises are not build overnight”, says Stephen Fleming the head coach of Chennai Super Kings. “You need to give enough time to players and win their loyalty and give them confidence to come good. And with time results will come”. Remember, Kolkata last won an IPL in year 2014 and it’s been long wait of 8 years. Last year they were runners up to Chennai.

Fleming is spot on as IPL is the most challenging franchise cricket and players don’t get going from match one. Sometimes not one season is enough. If you see talent, you need to back it to the core but if you keep changing players every second game, you will never get a settled squad which will deliver and get you desired results.

It’s not how much money you have invested in the player but how much confidence you have in his ability.