3 IPL editions when Andre Russell's bad form drowned KKR
Kolkata Knight Raiders (KKR) all-rounder Andre Russell is one of the most destructive players to have ever graced the Indian Premier League (IPL). His innate match-winning ability is an asset that any franchise would like among its ranks.
Russell has had a topsy-turvy journey in the tournament ever since making his debut over a decade ago, back in 2012. He was absolutely unmatchable at his peak, especially during the 2019 campaign where he scored 510 runs and was crowned the most valuable player of the edition.
However, as the years have progressed, Russell's match-winning ability, although present, has managed to wane. He largely features as a batter due to his poor track record of persistent injuries.
The franchise bestowed faith on the all-rounder after retaining him for 2022 and beyond, but he has not had the brightest of starts to IPL 2023 and it has affected KKR to an extent.
The task of finishing the innings has fallen to the likes of Shardul Thakur and Rinku Singh so far, instead of Russell, who has scored 39 runs in four matches and only four runs across the last three games.
On that note, let's take a look at three editions of the IPL where Russell's poor form has hurt KKR.
#1 IPL 2020
The 2020 campaign marks Andre Russell's worst season where he has played at least 10 matches. Held entirely in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), KKR agonizingly missed out on a playoff spot due to having an inferior net run rate, much like in the 2019 season.
The West Indies international managed only 117 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate of 144. He was dismissed by pacers across all matches in that edition, making it a tournament to forget for himself as well as KKR.
To make matters worse, he was also only able to claim six wickets across the tournament at an economy rate of 9.72.
His poor form affected KKR a great deal as they were also hurt by Dinesh Karthik's dismal run with the bat, rendering the entire lower middle-order redundant.
#2 IPL 2016
Coming on the back of a successful 2016 T20 World Cup campaign with the West Indies, expectations were high from the ace all-rounder.
Russell instead only had a poor tournament to show for, scoring 188 runs in 12 matches at an average of 26 and a strike rate of 165.
While KKR did manage to qualify for the playoffs, they had to remain content with the fourth spot due to an inferior run rate. The second-placed Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) claimed the crucial second spot with the same number of points as KKR.
An in-form Andre Russell could potentially have delivered KKR a spot in the top two. However, KKR ended up losing his services due to a leg injury in the latter stages of the tournament.
The two-time IPL champions ended up losing their final league game, thus forcing them to play the Eeliminator, where they lost to eventual winners SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH).
#3 IPL 2021
The 2021 campaign was one of two halves for the league as well as for KKR. The franchise had a horrid first half in India before picking up pace in the UAE for the second leg. They had a dream run and managed to qualify for the playoffs as well as the final.
While several things clicked for KKR in the second leg, the Caribbean all-rounder was unfortunately not one of them. He scored 183 runs in 10 matches and could not make much of an impression during the business end of the tournament due to injury.
Barring a fifty against CSK at the Wankhede Stadium at the start of the tournament, Russell did not have much to show for and was dismissed for 20 in his final match of the season.
He sustained an injury while fielding against CSK in Abu Dhabi and did not partake in the franchise's run to the playoffs as well as the final.
Will Andre Russell return to his best during IPL 2023? Let us know what you think.