"Andre Russell will be positive against spinners" Eoin Morgan ahead of KKR vs SRH

Former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Eoin Morgan has said that all-rounder Andre Russell will take a positive approach against spinners in their next game against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Russell hasn't been among the runs despite KKR registering back-to-back victories against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Gujarat Titans (GT). The West Indies all-rounder, who is known for his destructive batting, has managed scores of 35, 0 and 1 thus far this season.

Russell was dismissed by Karn Sharma and Rashid Khan in his last two innings, respectively. There are concerns over the 34-year-old's ability to tackle leg-spinners.

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However, Russell's former KKR teammate Eoin Morgan feels that the Jamaican star player will overcome his struggles in the upcoming matches. Morgan told JioCinema:

"For me it's not a concern. When Andre Russell comes to the crease, the trend over the last few years is to get a wrist spinner on. He has countered that normally very positively."

"Was very unlucky in the last game to get an inside edge of his thigh pad. I think we will see that plan and trend continue but Andre Russell will be extremely positive."

During KKR's nail-biting encounter against the Titans, Venkatesh Iyer came in to bat at No.3 as an impact substitute for leg-spinner Suyash Sharma. The left-handed batter scored 83 off 40 balls at an impressive strike rate of 207.50.

Morgan feels that the lanky Indian player can be consistent with his striking through the season. He added:

"Venkatesh Iyer can definitely score at a consistent strike rate and I think he is in really good form at the moment. His opportunity to capitalise on that good form should reflect his strike rate at the end of the tournament."

"Don't think Jason Roy will be in this game" - Eoin Morgan

Kolkata Knight Riders signed England batter Jason Roy as a replacement for Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan after the latter made himself unavailable for IPL 2023 due to family reasons and national commitments.

Roy joined the KKR squad on the back of a terrific run with Quetta Gladiators in the 2023 Pakistan Super League. He accumulated 245 runs in seven innings at 40.83 and a strike rate of 166.66 with a best score of 145* versus Peshawar Zalmi.

While predicting the chances of Roy featuring in KKR's playing XI for the SRH game, Morgan said:

"Here I think Jason Roy is delighted to be part of the Knight Riders franchise. Conceding on the sidelines, out of form for a while, but in recent months he's been in impeccable form both for England and at the PSL."

He added:

"He will be ready to go if called upon. I don't see KKR making any drastic changes, so I don't think he will be in this game. Possibly down the line."

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KKR will play against SRH in match 19 of the IPL 2023 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Friday evening (14 April).