It has been a below-par season so far for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-rounder Andre Russell, considering his lofty standards. Russell has scored 55 runs in eight IPL 2025 matches at a strike rate of 119.57. The 36-year-old all-rounder has smashed just four sixes this season—a tally he often surpasses in a single match when in form.
In KKR’s recent match against Gujarat Titans (GT), Russell managed just 21 runs off 15 balls. He was dismissed by Rashid Khan before he could do any significant damage, leaving KKR in a spot of bother.
While Russell’s form is indeed a concern, the dismissal against GT also raises questions over whether leg-spin is his kryptonite in the IPL. He has been dismissed by spinners 21 times in the tournament, with 14 of those dismissals coming against leg-spinners.
Russell has scored 348 runs in 246 balls at a strike rate of 141.46 and an average of 24.85 against leg-spin.
Overall against spinners, he has scored 676 runs in 452 balls at a strike rate of 149.55 and an average of 32.19.
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Russell’s struggles against leg-spin have become even more apparent since IPL 2023. He has scored 105 runs in 77 balls at a strike rate of 136.36 and an average of just 13.12, with eight dismissals.
This vulnerability was especially exposed in IPL 2019, when CSK captain MS Dhoni capitalised on it by bringing in leg-spinner Imran Tahir at a crucial juncture. The move paid off, as Tahir dismissed Russell for just 10 runs, helping CSK secure a win.
“Russell isn’t the only one struggling right now. Yes, he’s been dismissed by leg-spinners a few times, but that’s not a concern. Rashid is one of the quality leg-spinners. We just need to bat better so that Russell can finish games,” said KKR mentor Dwayne Bravo after the team’s loss to GT.
“IPL is a tough tournament. When you don’t start well, batters go into a phase where they lose confidence. That’s what is happening at this moment. We just have to keep backing them and hopefully, they come good,” added Bravo.
KKR are currently seventh on the IPL 2025 points table and will face PBKS in their next match.
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