Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) star all-rounder Andre Russell isn’t at his best in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 and is struggling to find rhythm in the tournament. The West Indies cricketer has just scored 108 runs in eight games at an average of 18 so far and is on the target of critics for his below-par performances.
However, Russell recently showed signs of a comeback with the ball in KKR’s previous match against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), where he picked two wickets and conceded just 29 runs in his quota of four overs. Although KKR emerged victorious in the contest, they are not doing so well in the league and sit at the seventh spot of the points table with three wins in eight matches.
Amid all the discussions of Kolkata’s bad run and his form, Russell opened up about his relationship with the franchise in a chat with Star Sports. The 35-year-old revealed how the KKR management helped him with his knee treatment while he was going through a rough patch in his life. He also said that no other team has invested in him as much as KKR, not even his country.
“Where I was, a few years ago, KKR actually make things happen for me where they send me to get proper treatments on my knees. That’s something special to me to be honest. No other franchise or even my country never really invest that much on me,” said Russell.
“I’m happy here. I don’t see any other franchise I would love to be a part of in this tournament because I’ve been here for about 9 years now. Been here for so many years, I meet these guys, get closer to them every year. When cricket isn’t there, I’m still in communication with Mr Venky (Mysore). I look up to him, I really respect him,” he added.
Notably, Russell has been part of the KKR franchise since 2014 and has played many match-winning knocks for the side in these nine years.
