Why isn't Russell batting higher for KKR in IPL 2025? – ESPN

Ambati Rayudu on what makes the mystery spinner unique (4:08)
Is Andre Russell batting too low for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2025?
He hasn’t batted above No.7 in four innings so far, and against Mumbai Indians (MI) he was demoted to No.8. He’s faced 20 balls this season and scored 17 runs.
When the question was posed to Venkatesh Iyer on the eve of KKR’s game against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Chepauk, he said that a number of factors determined Russell’s batting position.
“I think from the analytics point of view, entry point is a huge thing,” Venkatesh said. “Once you assess if a certain pitch is going to suit an individual or not, you decide his entry point whether it will be early or give him a few overs.
“Obviously, people [outside] would be talking about when he should come and when he should not. But we should not forget that we have Rinku Singh also. We have Ramandeep Singh also. Yes, Dre [Andre Russell] has been doing this for a very long time, but we have got able competition for him as well.”
KKR are also big on maintaining left-right combinations. In the season-opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Eden Gardens, KKR had Rinku batting at No.6, ahead of Russell, after Venkatesh had been dismissed in the 13th over. In their most recent game against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at Eden Gardens, KKR promoted Ramandeep Singh to No.5, ahead of both Rinku and Russell, and paired him up with Venkatesh after Ajinkya Rahane had holed out.
“When all these players come together in a combination, it is very difficult for opposition to bowl at them,” Venkatesh said. “And there are a lot of grounds where we also have to consider maintaining a left-right combination. So, there are a lot of things that delay or alter a certain batter’s entry positions, but trust me, everything within the team is well thought of. We have 600 matches of experience in DJ Bravo (KKR mentor). So, we have a lot of experience and every decision that they make is well thought of.”
When Bravo was with CSK as their bowling coach during IPL 2023 and 2024, he played a vital role behind the scenes in the development of Indian fast bowlers like Tushar Deshpande and Simarjeet Singh. Venkatesh and KKR are looking to tap into his experience and knowledge of the Chepauk conditions.
“He has played over 600 professional T20 matches, and I’ve said this in many places: nothing is more important than experience because T20 cricket is a game of experience,” Venkatesh said. “The more experience you have, the more situations you have seen. So, he has an answer for every situation because he himself has lived in that situation. Plus, he has spent a lot of time at CSK. He knows how to bat and bowl on this ground, and he knows what tactics to use.”
The presence of Varun Chakaravarthy, whose domestic home ground is Chepauk, and Moeen Ali and Ajinkya Rahane, also former Super Kings in KKR’s ranks, has also made them feel at home, away from home. If the conditions are conductive to spin, Moeen could return to the team in place of left-arm quick Spencer Johnson on Friday.
“Irrespective of the conditions, I think Varun is a world-class spinner now,” Venkatesh said. “But yeah, him playing in his home ground is going to be of huge importance.
“It’s going to be a huge factor as well, also considering that Ajinkya played here for two years, Moeen Ali played for two years. So, I think we’ve got a good thinktank as well with regards to how this pitch will play.”
After starting the season with a pair of low scores, Venkatesh found his groove with scores of 60 off 29 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and 45 off 29 against LSG.
“For me, I’m at my best when my mindset for the game is right and, when my approach towards the game is right,” Venkatesh said. “That has got nothing to do with the runs that I scored. Because we are playing one of the best franchise cricket tournaments in the world. If I have certain amount of skill, the other team has the same skill as well. So, for me, the benchmark has always been the mindset that I carry. And I feel I’m carrying a very good mindset towards the game. My approach and attitude towards every game is very good.”

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