Aaron Finch stated that the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have only themselves to blame for their elimination from the IPL 2025 group stages. Despite keeping most of their core players from the previous season, KKR lacked consistency, which eventually led to their downfall.
Kolkata found themselves in a difficult situation after a defeat to CSK at home, just before the IPL 2025 was suspended for a week. Their prospects hinged on defeating RCB at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday, May 17. However, the match was abandoned without a ball being bowled, ending KKR’s chances.
Speaking on JioHotstar, Finch stated that KKR’s campaign got off to a rocky start, adding that they didn’t use Andre Russell properly. He believed that the all-rounder was not given sufficient opportunities to make a significant impact on the contests.
“It didn’t get off to a good start for them. Andre Russell, who has been a match-winner for such a long time, spent much of the tournament batting in the lower order. He wasn’t given enough chances to influence the games. Ultimately, they have no one to blame but themselves,” Finch said.
KKR’s defeat against CSK was also mentioned by Finch, who described it as a game that they should have won but allowed to slip away. Overall, he observed that Kolkata struggled to do things right at crucial times throughout the season.
“They were left kicking themselves after the last game against CSK, as it was a match they should have won. They were almost there, but still couldn’t get over the line. Over the course of the season, KKR encountered several moments where they were unable to deliver,” Finch added.