Picture Credit: BCCI/IPL
The defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are having a forgettable season in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Having won only three games from eight matches so far, KKR registered their fifth defeat on Monday, April 21 as they went down against Gujarat Titans (GT) by 39 runs at their own backyard, the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
While the KKR failed to chase the 199-run target, their batting failed to provide impetus, except from skipper Ajinkya Rahane, who scored 50 off 36 deliveries. The likes of Andre Russell also failed in the lower middle-order and had to departed after scoring just 21 off 15 balls. His dismal knock got him in the radar as KKR mentor Dwayne Bravo was also inquired about Russell’s season.
Russell is an experienced player. He's a successful player: DJ Bravo
Addressing the post-match press conference, DJ Bravo was questioned about Dre Russell’s form, while several claimed him to be a kryptonite. The former West Indies cricketer was quick to refute these claims and clarified that it’s not just Russell, but the entire batting order has been a failure this season. "I wouldn't say so. Russell is an experienced player. He's a successful player. There's a couple games the leg-spinners got him out, but I don't think, we actually as a team have been batting properly, so that's just the reality,” Bravo said.
“Russell is not the only one who is struggling at the moment, but as a group we have to make sure that the players keep putting in their work in practice, keep preparing well, try to keep them mentally focused," he continued. It is to be noted that Russell has scored only 55 runs from eight matches at a humiliating average of 9.17 and a strike rate of 119.56.
Moreover, Russell has usually struggled against spin and fell to Rashid Khan on Monday. Out of the 20 dismissals coming against spin in his IPL career, he caught by leg-spinners in 14 of them. Further speaking of the KKR’s batting and failure of some players, Bravo added, "The IPL is a tough tournament and when you don't start well and batsmen go into a period where they lose confidence, and that's what's happening at the moment. So like I said, we just had to keep backing them and hopefully they can get it.”
The Ajinkya Rahane-led KKR will hope to turn their season around as they next host Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Saturday, April 26 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. In their last out, which came on April 15, the Shreyas Iyer-led side defeated KKR by 16 runs in a thriller in Chandigarh.
