Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders have put themselves in a hole, their fifth defeat in eight matches left them with a mountain to climb. A berth in the playoffs is suddenly at the doorstep of impossible.

By now, everyone knows where KKR’s problems lie, but Dwayne Bravo, their mentor, was willing to put a finger on it. “IPL is a tough tournament, and when you don’t start well, batsmen [can] go into a period where they lose confidence. That’s what’s happening at the moment,” the 41-year-old Trinidadian admitted after Monday’s 39-run defeat to the Gujarat Titans at Eden Gardens. “We just have to keep backing them and hope they come good.”