'Astonishing' skill development - Watson sees a young Samson in Raghuvanshi

Raghuvanshi's numbers in the IPL are a bit sobering but Watson believes he will continue to develop into a well-rounded batter

Angkrish Raghuvanshi is "still learning" to harness his skills to become a complete T20 batter, but his talent reminds Kolkata Knight Riders assistant coach Shane Watson of a 17-year-old Sanju Samson he first saw at Rajasthan Royals in 2013.

"I've been fortunate over the years to see some unbelievably talented young cricketers in the IPL," Watson said ahead of Wednesday's fixture against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Raipur. "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. What stands out is his ability to adapt to different conditions and bowlers while still having a wide range of shot options."

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 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."

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.Finn Allen scored 100 out of the 147 runs for KKR against DC•Associated Press

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.

"The challenge for Finn has always been balancing his extraordinary ball-striking ability with consistency," Watson said. He can take down any bowler in the world, in any conditions. Now the next stage in his evolution is understanding which bowlers to target, what his shot options are, and when to fully access his power.

"The innings he played in the last game [in Delhi] actually wasn't a typical Finn Allen innings. Usually he goes very hard from ball one. This time he was more measured early on, before really putting his foot down against specific bowlers and in his preferred hitting zones.

"That's the exciting part of his development. Learning when to go all-out and when to rein it in slightly while still remaining fearless. I've loved working with him over the years and seeing him now realise his dream of playing in the IPL and already producing impactful innings. I've got no doubt there will be many more."

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."