Virender Sehwag Slammed KKR For Their ‘Code Word’ Strategy: Kolkata Knight Riders’ skipper Eoin Morgan led his register their second win of the tournament as they successfully chased down the target of 124 runs given by Punjab Kings. However, during the match, a controversy stole all the attention and drew flak from fans and commentators.
During the middle overs of Punjab Kings’ batting, Kolkata Knight Riders analyst Nathan Leamon had a cryptic placard reading ’54’. On-air commentators and fans soon started a debate about what the code meant, however, no one knew for sure about the code.
Spirit of the game stays strong! ?#PBKSvKKR #KKRHaiTaiyaar #IPL2021 pic.twitter.com/5CpENl7IpQ
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 26, 2021
Soon after the match, legendary batsman Virender Sehwag has expressed his displeasure at the controversial ‘code word’ strategy used by the Kolkata Knight Riders. Talking to Cricbuzz, Virender Sehwag slammed KKR’s team management and argued that if analysts in the dugout are allowed to dictate the game, then anyone can be the skipper on the field.
Sehwag said that though there was nothing wrong with receiving such help from the backroom staff, however, he added that the same could undermine the role of a captain’s instincts. He said:
“We have only seen such code language in the army. I think ’54’ was the name of their plan which could be about bowling a certain bowler at a particular time. I think that’s a little help that management and coaches want to give to the captain from the dugout. There’s nothing to frown upon in this, but if they are dictating [the game] from the outside then in this way, anyone can be the captain right? There’s no role left for his (Eoin Morgan) popular instinctive power in the game, the power with which he won the World Cup,”
Virender Sehwag also made his speculation about the sign. He guessed that the code might be conveying some bowling changes or reminding Eoin Morgan of some pre-pared strategy. He said:
“I think one should definitely get help from outside but the captain himself has some instincts about which type of bowler to use when. I am not saying don’t take the help from outside because sometimes even the 25th player can give a good suggestion. But this suggestion should be only something which helps the captain and he thinks ‘Right, I didn’t think about it in this way’. Also, these things can help if he has forgotten something and the code reminds him of that then there’s no issue,”
