Andre Russell's performance of 21 runs off 15 balls, during which he faced challenges against the Gujarat Titans' spinners Sai Kishore and Rashid Khan, marked his highest score in IPL 2025. This year, he has only managed to reach double figures twice in six matches, highlighting his difficulties against wrist spinners. When asked about Russell's performance in the 18th season, Dwayne Bravo, the former West Indies all-rounder and current KKR mentor, noted that Russell is not the only player in the KKR lineup facing difficulties.

"Andre Russell is a seasoned and accomplished player. While he has been dismissed by leg-spinners in a few matches, the broader issue is that our team is not performing well collectively. Russell is not alone in his struggles. As a team, we must support our players and focus on our preparation. The IPL is a challenging tournament, and a poor start can lead to a loss of confidence among batters," Bravo stated to reporters at Eden Gardens following KKR's 39-run defeat to GT on Monday.

Russell began his innings with a boundary and a six off Washington Sundar, but once Sai Kishore and Rashid Khan were introduced, his scoring opportunities diminished. He appeared uncertain about the ball's movement and was ultimately stumped by a googly from Rashid. This marked the second time Russell has fallen to a leg-spinner in this IPL season, having previously been dismissed by RCB's Suyash Sharma in the tournament's opening match.

Bravo expressed that Russell's difficulties against wrist spinners should not be a cause for concern. Instead, he emphasized that the KKR top-order must take responsibility for providing solid starts, thereby easing the pressure on finishers like Russell and Rinku Singh. "Not every team has leg-spinners, and today he faced a top-quality spinner like Rashid Khan. When Russell comes to bat, the run rate is often around 14 or 15 runs per over. The top order needs to perform better to give him the opportunity to finish games as he has done for KKR in the past."

Rahane admits top-order failure against GT

Chasing 199, KKR's batting lineup faltered, managing only 159 runs for the loss of 8 wickets. Captain Ajinkya Rahane, who contributed a half-century, acknowledged that the performance of the top order has not met expectations.

"I believed that chasing down 199 was feasible; we made a strong comeback with our bowling. We anticipate solid starts from our openers, but that has been a consistent challenge for us throughout the tournament. It is crucial that we learn and adapt quickly," Rahane stated during the post-match presentation.

Although KKR's bowlers have demonstrated consistent improvement, Rahane conceded that the batting unit has not been up to par.

"The pitch was somewhat sluggish, but while bowling, we felt that restricting the opposition to below 210 or 200 would be advantageous. We must enhance our batting, particularly during the middle overs. We require stronger starts from our openers, but I have no complaints regarding our bowlers; they are improving with each match."

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