Contents
Watson Sees Bright Future for Raghuvanshi and Allen
Kolkata Knight Riders assistant coach Shane Watson has praised the astonishing skill development of young batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi, comparing him to a 17-year-old Sanju Samson.
“I’ve been fortunate over the years to see some unbelievably talented young cricketers in the IPL,” Watson said. “I remember seeing Sanju Samson as a 17-year-old and being blown away by his skill level. Angkrish is another one of those players. His skill development at 21 is honestly astonishing. We’ve seen flashes of what he can do, but there’s a lot more to come.”
Raghuvanshi’s Numbers
Raghuvanshi’s numbers are a bit sobering. Currently in his third IPL season, he has featured in all 10 matches and scored 269 runs at a strike rate of 135.85. This ranks at No. 46 among the 52 batters to have faced at least 100 balls this season.
In his last five innings, he has struck at just 107, while managing 87 runs. The issue for KKR is two-fold. That Raghuvanshi’s strike rate is middling is one side of the coin. The other is that he’s producing these numbers at No. 3, behind skipper Ajinkya Rahane, whose strike rate of 132.12 at the top is even lower and ranks two spots below him on the same list, at No. 48.
Watson’s Assessment
Watson believes Raghuvanshi will continue to develop into a well-rounded batter. “Even in training yesterday, on a challenging wicket, some of the things he was doing were ridiculous to watch,” he said. “He’s only going to get better as he learns how to harness all that skill consistently. And now he’s keeping wickets too, which makes it even more impressive because he wasn’t originally a full-time keeper.”
“He’s worked incredibly hard at it and done a brilliant job. The best keepers are the ones you barely notice because everything looks smooth – and he’s done that beautifully. He’s a highly skilled young man, but just as importantly, he’s incredibly eager to learn and improve. As a coach, those are the dream players to work with.”
Finn Allen’s Progress
The other player Watson is really excited about is Finn Allen – fresh off an unbeaten 47-ball 100 that turned the tables on Delhi Capitals in their previous match. Unlike Raghuvanshi, who is learning to adapt to the high-risk, high-reward game, Allen is challenged by marrying his high-tempo game with consistency.
Watson worked with him from before his stint with KKR, at the San Francisco Unicorns in the MLC, and is excited by the improvements he has seen over the past two years. Allen made a splash early in the season with 37 off 17 and 28 off seven, but tapered off thereafter, resulting in him being dropped from the XII.
Since returning to the team, he has scored 29 and a century back at the top of the order. That this has coincided with KKR’s streak of four wins bodes well for a side on the upswing.
KKR’s Pathway
KKR have had a tough season. They didn’t have a win in six games, but have since gotten on a roll. If that didn’t already inspire confidence, they can look up to their opponents, who had a similar run in 2024. From being one win in eight, RCB won six on the bounce to make the playoffs.
Asked if KKR are daring to dream, Watson was pragmatic about their pathway. “To be totally honest, we haven’t talked about the future at all,” he said. “It sounds cliché, but that genuinely has been our approach. What’s been most impressive over the last few games is how the group has come together across all facets of the game.”
“Against DC, we ticked every box. That’s what we’re chasing – complete performances. We’re confident in the skills within our squad and in the direction we’re heading. There’s optimism because teams have come from difficult positions before and made deep runs into the finals. But for us, the most important thing is continuing to put together complete games like we did in the last match.”
