“We’ve only got ourselves to blame”: Russell after a below par score against Gujarat

Gujarat Titans defeated the Kolkata Knight Riders by 7 wickets with 13 balls to spare. Kolkata were short by 20-25 runs on the flat Eden Gardens wicket. 

Russell did not attempt to hide his displeasure and expressed his dissatisfaction with the final score that his team achieved on a calm batting track.

In IPL 2023, Andre Russell hasn’t been in the best of forms. In his eight outings, he recorded four single-digit scores, with a 38* as his best. He endangered Rashid Khan early in the game against Gujarat Titans by starting with sixes, but he was unable to secure the grand, at least not of the kind that is expected of him. At the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Kolkata Knight Riders defeated GT with a final score of 179 for 7, and the hard-hitting West Indies cricketer finished the match with 34 off 19 balls.

Andre Russell said

 “Looking at the total we’ve got, I’m not happy at all,” Russell said.

The KKR star said that a score of approximately 200 would have been the ideal result on this pitch, especially given the start they had.

“I think this is a 190-200 wicket so we are about 20 short. We’ve only got ourselves to blame,” he added.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz made his comeback to the team when Jason Roy was forced to leave due to a back spasm, scoring his second fifty of the year in 39 balls while smashing seven sixes and five fours.

But after being dismissed for 81 by young Afghan spinner Noor Ahmed (4-0-21-2) with a well-timed catch by fellow countryman Rashid Khan, KKR failed to make the most of the remaining overs, as Mohammed Shami (3/33 in 4 overs) and Irishman Josh Little (2/25 in 4 overs) did an excellent job of fulfilling their roles.

With 28 balls remaining, KKR was at 135/5 because to the explosiveness of Andre Russell and Rinku Singh. But they were unable to surpass 200, which gives a team a psychological advantage.

Rinku became Noor’s second victim, and ‘birthday boy’ Russell was held back by the GT bowlers, who did a commendable job of keeping him to a score of 19 balls, 34 runs, and not out (2×4, 3×6). Just 45 runs were scored by KKR, and in the final five overs, three wickets were lost. 

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