Russell has crossed the double figures only twice in six innings this season.
The Caribbean all-rounder has crossed the double figures only twice in six innings this season, and his struggles against wrist spinners have been quite glaring.
However, when KKR mentor Dwayne Bravo was asked about Russell's struggles, he chose to defend his compatriot, saying that latter is not the only KKR player struggling for runs.
Bravo’s comment came after KKR lost to Gujarat Titans by 39 runs at the Eden Gardens on Monday (April 21). Batting at No. 6, Russell made 21 off 15 balls in the chase of 199.
"Andre Russell is an experienced and successful player. Yes, in a couple of games, the leg-spinners got him out. But I don't think we are batting well as a team. That is the reality. Russell is not the only one struggling. As a group, we have to ensure players are backed. We need to keep preparing well. IPL is a tough tournament. If you don't start well, batters can go into a period where they lose confidence," Bravo told reporters.
Russell started his innings with a boundary and a six off Washington Sundar, but when Sai Kishore and Rashid Khan were brought from both ends, his runs dried up. He was eventually out stumped off a Rashid googly. It was the second instance of Russell getting out to a leg-spinner in this year’s IPL after being dismissed by RCB's Suyash Sharma in the tournament opener.
Bravo believes Russell's struggles against the wrist spinners are nothing to be worried about. Instead, he held the KKR top-order accountable for not providing good starts to make the job easier for finishers like Russell and Rinku Singh.
"Not every team has leg-spinners and today he was up against a quality spinner like Rashid Khan. When Russell walks in to bat, every time the run rate is at 14 or 15 runs per over. Work needs to be done at the top to give him a chance to finish off games like he has been doing all these years for KKR. Yes, leg-spinners got him out a few times, but I don't think that is a big concern. We just need to bat better (at the top) to allow our finishers the chance to finish games," Bravo said.
KKR could only reach 159/8 in 20 overs against GT. Skipper Ajinkya Rahane waged a lone battle, scoring 50 off 36 balls while no one other batter managed to cross the 30-run mark.
Despite the loss, KKR's position remained unchanged in the team standings. They continue to occupy the seventh spot on the 10-team points table with three wins from eight matches.