Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) vice-captain Venkatesh Iyer has supported the team’s strategy of sending Andre Russell lower down the batting order in IPL 2025. Venkatesh praised Russell’s match-winning ability but noted that Rinku and Ramandeep can also make a strong impact with the bat.
Despite being a seasoned campaigner with 132 IPL appearances and an impressive strike rate of 173.68, the 36-year-old Russell has been slotted at No. 7 or below in four innings this season. He has managed just 17 runs from 20 deliveries, prompting questions about his current role in the team.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of KKR’s upcoming match against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Venkatesh Iyer stood by the team’s approach regarding Andre Russell’s position in the line-up. He stated (via ESPNcricinfo):
“I think from the analytics point of view, entry point is a huge thing. 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,” the 30-year-old went on to add.
“Big advantage” – Venkatesh Iyer on Varun Chakaravarthy playing at home ground
Leg-spinner Varun Chakaravarthy has once again emerged as a key player for Kolkata in IPL 2025. Across five matches, he has claimed six wickets at an average of 20.83 and an economy rate of 6.57. As KKR gear up to face CSK on Friday, the Tamil Nadu native will be playing at his home venue, Chepauk. Venkatesh noted this could play a significant role and remarked:
“Irrespective of the conditions, I think Varun is a world-class spinner now. 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 think tank as well with regards to how this pitch will play.”
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