KKR mentor DJ Bravo backs fellow West Indian Russell, urges likes of Rahane, Iyer to up their game

Kolkata Knight Riders' mentor Dwayne Bravo has thrown his support behind under-fire all-rounder Andre Russell, whose poor form in IPL 2025 has raised concerns. Russell’s highest score this season has been a laboured 21 off 15 balls against Gujarat Titans — his only second double-digit score in six matches. His difficulties against wrist spinners, particularly Sai Kishore and Rashid Khan, were evident as he struggled to read their variations and was eventually stumped off a googly from Rashid.

Despite these struggles, Bravo downplayed concerns over Russell’s form, stating that the all-rounder is an experienced match-winner and not the only batter underperforming. “As a group, we are not batting well. Russell is not the only one struggling,” Bravo said after KKR’s 39-run loss to Gujarat Titans at Eden Gardens. He added that confidence dips are common in the IPL, especially when teams don’t start well.

Bravo stressed that the responsibility lies with the top order to set a strong platform, allowing finishers like Russell and Rinku Singh to thrive. “When Russell comes in, the required run rate is already very high. We must do better at the top to give him a fair chance,” he said.

Talking to reporters at Eden Gardens, the KKR mentor asked the likes of Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, and Ajinkya Rahane to up their game.

KKR made changes to their lineup, replacing Quinton de Kock with Rahmanullah Gurbaz and pushing Venkatesh Iyer down the order, but the batting woes persisted. Openers Narine and Gurbaz failed to provide momentum, and although Ajinkya Rahane scored 50, his slow strike rate hurt the chase. Rahane admitted post-match that the top-order’s failure has been a consistent problem.

Bravo concluded by reiterating the need for collective batting improvements rather than focusing blame on individual players like Russell, encouraging the squad to regroup and back each other. (With inputs from Agencies)