IPL 2016: Leg injury forces Andre Russell out of the game against Gujarat Lions
Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Andre Russell is ruled out of the crucial game on 19 May against Gujarat Lions. The 28-year-old all-rounder limped off the field midway through the match against the Royal Challengers Bangalore on 16 May, after injuring his left leg.
He did not travel with the squad to Kanpur, for their next game on Thursday. Russell is the third-highest wicket-taker of the tournament, with 15 wickets in 12 innings, and an economy of 7.97. He is also the fourth-highest run-scorer for Kolkata with 188 runs.
Russell bowled 2.3 overs against RCB and left the field twice, once mid-way during the RCB innings and after bowling 3 balls of the 19th over. He was assisted off the field in the penultimate over, after he tumbled for the third time during his run-up.
With the Knight Riders needing at least one win from their remaining two games to secure a place in the playoffs, they will be hoping for Russell to regain his fitness as soon as possible. The medical staff is closely monitoring his injury, and will try to get him fit at the earliest.
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The Knight Riders are currently placed second in the points table with seven wins from 12 games. They play Gujarat Lions away, on the 19th and Sunrisers on the 22nd at home. They are one of the four teams with a positive net run-rate (0.280), and have chances to qualify even if they lose their next two games.
In which case, they will have to depend on the other teams’ results going their way as well. Injury woes continue in this IPL, with nine overseas players getting ruled out of the tournament. Kolkata lost John Hastings earlier this month, and losing Russell is the last thing they would want at this stage.
45-year-old all-rounder Brad Hogg might possibly replace Russell in the game against Gujarat, or Gautam Gambhir might also look to bring in Colin Munro or Jason Holder. Hogg has been in good form for KKR since joining them in 2015, and he has managed to pick up 13 wickets in 11 innings, with an economy of 7.72. Munro has also been used by the Kolkata-based franchise on two occasions this season, while Holder has played just the solitary match.