Kolkata Knight Riders in action during IPL 2023© BCCI
Former Indian cricket team opener Aakash Chopra was unimpressed with how Andre Russell has performed for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. Russell had a good start in the first game against Punjab Kings, but in the next two matches he has not scored much as Rashid Khan cheaply dismissed him in the last match against Gujarat Titans. Ahead of KKR’s match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Chopra said players like Rinku Singh and skipper Nitish Rana have stepped up, but Russell’s form remains a major problem for the Kolkata side.
“Kolkata is a team on a roll. It seems they are a team with problems. Andre Russell’s bat hasn’t spoken at all so far. It seems that something is missing in the at bat, but Rinku Singh comes one day, Venkatesh Iyer comes another day and now Nitish Rana has also scored runs”, said Chopra.
Both Nitish Rana and Venkatesh Iyer found their form against GT in the final match, with Rinku stunning everyone with five sixes in five balls to secure a sensational victory for the side.
Chopra was all praise for the batting unit in general, trying to guess how they would line up against SRH.
“Venky Iyer hit well, played very well in two games. His batting order has moved slightly up and down. He could continue hitting at number 3, could open or be pushed to number 4. If Russell scores points, the team’s stature will suddenly become even greater,” he added.
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