Former India spinner Anil Kumble believes Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) haven’t made the most of all-rounder Andre Russell this season, with the big-hitting right-hander often batting too low in the order. Led by Ajinkya Rahane, the defending champions have looked a far cry from the team that lifted the IPL trophy last year, and they’re currently struggling in the lower half of the points table. 

Andre Russell has struggled to make an impact with the bat this season, managing just 45 runs across eight matches with scores of 4, 5, 1, 7, 17, and 21. While he has picked up six wickets with the ball, he hasn’t delivered the kind of match-winning performances KKR have come to rely on. Unsurprisingly, the team is now finding it tough to stay in the playoff race.

Anil Kumble believes the team management needs to place more trust in Andre Russell by promoting him up the batting order, giving him a better chance to make an impact during the middle overs.

"I felt the utilisation of Andre Russell hasn't been really great from a KKR standpoint. I think Russell should bat higher. He should certainly get more opportunities. Just look at the one that they lost to Punjab. I think in the dugout, ideally at that point, you would say, okay, Andre Russell, you go and just finish this game early. If you get on the first ball, it doesn't matter. We still have batting in hand," said Kumble.

"But that didn't happen. By the time Russell came, he had to bat with the bowlers. And even in the last game, by the time Russell came, I think the contest was over, 17 and a half, 18 runs and over. It may happen once in 10 games or once in 20 games. It can't happen every time. So that's something that I think KKR need to figure out," he added.