Andre Russell is Kolkata Knight Riders’ primary match-winner. Feared by all opposition teams, a game is never done and dusted until the Jamaican is back in the dugout.
He can and has won many games from precarious positions. On Saturday against the Gujarat Lions, Russell nearly did it again by smashing a 25-ball 48 to get Kolkata close to victory. However, in the end, close enough was not good enough as Kolkata slumped further down the IPL ladder.
Russell’s impact lower down the order ensures the opposing captains remain anxious right until the end. But the big question is, should Russell be promoted up the order to make the opposition teams worry for a longer duration?
With three wins from eight matches, it might be time for Kolkata to re-evaluate the way they utilise Russell. In the past, Russell has made it well known that he would like to bat higher up the order.
With 227 runs, Andre Russell is Kolkata Knight Riders’ second-highest run-getter this season. Image: Sportzpics for IPL
“When you look at the makeup of our team, I would not mind going to bat at number 4,” Russell had said in 2019.
Against Gujarat, Russell batted at the No 7 spot and still ended up as the top scorer for the team in the match. Kolkata’s top-order woes have meant that Russell has had to come in to bat earlier than the team plans. The upside is that he consistently managed to resurrect the innings and on a couple of occasions won his team the match as well. This begs the question – should he be elevated or is it in almost a nothing-to-lose situation that Russell performs at his best?
The match against the Punjab Kings was a good example of Russell’s impact down the order. With the match almost over, Russell blasted an unbeaten 70 off just 31 balls to chase down the 138-run target with 33 balls to spare. This is the kind of innings KKR expect from Russell and he is the most comfortable doing that. At the end of that match, he had said, “In that position (No 7), I know what I can do”.
While Russell can often demolish bowling attacks at the death, there is always that argument about whether his team would be better served if Russell walks in with more overs remaining. The big question for KKR is should they continue backing Russell for a position that he is personally more comfortable with or give him more of the responsibility?
In terms of the numbers, there isn’t much of a difference in his strike rate when he has batted at Nos 5, 6 or 7. Russell’s strike rate against spinners in the middle phase of the innings is considerably lower than against the pace bowlers. Additionally, his dot ball percentage is also on the higher side when he has batted higher up the order and had to build his innings.
Batting at four means Russell won’t go after the bowlers right away, but his sheer presence at the crease will ensure Kolkata can up the tempo anytime during the innings. Also, the fact that if Russell decides to shift gears early in the innings, it will only allow others to play at their natural pace since they would have Russell’s services earlier than later.
There is an argument that Russell is best utilised when the asking rate soars above 10 runs an over. But if he is at the crease early, the chances of the required run-rate peaking so drastically will only decrease. It means the likes of Shreyas Iyer or Nitish Rana will have less pressure. For now, it seems like Kolkata are over-dependent on Russell. The opposition can devise strategies knowing that Russell will only be utilised towards the end. If Kolkata were to break up the pattern and send Russell in early, it will force the opposition to utilise their main bowlers a lot earlier in the innings. Currently, it has become far too predictable.
It is most relevant in the team’s context. Russell is a match-winner towards the back end of the innings, he isn’t one to build an innings with singles or doubles and then go big. It’s all power and six-hitting, but Kolkata still keep losing with this strategy.
With the season slipping away and the fact that Russell has stated in the past that he is willing to bat up the order, it might be time for the KKR coaching staff to give him full control.
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