Andre Russell entered IPL 2020 having a huge reputation of a big hitter but had a dismal IPL so far, averaging only 11.86 with the bat and has scored only 83 runs in 8 matches which is in contrast to his average of 30.27 and a staggering strike rate of 183.09 in IPL with 1483 runs in 72 matches.
Pragyan Ojha reckons that Andre Russell has not changed his approach towards cricket and hasn’t even tried to improve for which he has become a liability in the squad. He hasn’t bowled well too but is it is better than his batting, as he has 6 wickets in 8 games averaging 24.33.
Pragyan Ojha and Rohit Sharma. Photo Credit: BCCI/IPL.
Andre Russell Hasn’t Changed His Game: Pragyan Ojha
Pragyan Ojha criticized Kolkata Knight Riders approach after losing against Mumbai Indians and came down hard on Andre Russell besides being critical on the captaincy change after the regular captain, Dinesh Karthik quit as captain to hand over reins to Eoin Morgan to focus on batting.
“Andre Russell is not an improved cricketer, he has not changed his game. You see all the top players, they have changed their approach. Andre Russell is playing just the way he was playing 4 years ago, that is a liability,” Ojha told Sports Tak
Andre Russell, Sunil Narine
“Look at Jasprit Bumrah, when he came into the Mumbai Indians side and what he is today, you have to improve. You have to improve as a cricketer, cricket is evolving and you have to evolve, you cannot be stagnant.”
Andre Russell scored only 12 from 9 balls before being dismissed again by pacer Jasprit Bumrah. Mumbai Indians have won 21 and lost only 6 matches in 27 matches. Rohit Sharma has scored as many as 788 runs while Sunil Narine has taken 22 wickets in the matches between the two sides. Sunil Narine didn’t play as KKR shielded him after he was reported for suspect bowling action. Another report would mean he would be ruled out of IPL 2020.
Pragyan Ojha Don’t Understand Dinesh Karthik Quitting Captaincy In Middle Of IPL
In the eve of the match, Dinesh Karthik stepped down from captaincy and handed over the role to Eoin Morgan who was the 2019 World Cup winner England’s skipper.
“Dinesh Karthik is the captain. He calls all the decisions, he talks to the coaches, management, he picks the Indian players, he is in the thick and thin of the team’s decisions. Suddenly in the middle of the tournament, he says that he doesn’t want to take the captaincy because of my batting. I don’t understand that, somehow I feel it is not right,” he said.
Dinesh Karthik and Eoin Morgan. Image Credit: IPL.
“When you have taken the responsibility, you have a set of ideas that you want to finish this season, then you finish the season and give the captaincy to someone else. That’s what I feel. I know Morgan was there in the leadership group but he was not the captain till everybody started this tournament. But I doubt he was part of the selection, part of the decision-making process.”
Dinesh Karthik has led KKR in 37 matches where KKR have won 19 and lost 17 which 1 match was a no-result. He was captain since 2018 taking over from predecessor Gautam Gambhir who was KKR’s most successful captain with 61 wins and who led KKR to title wins in 2012 and 2014.
