The different teams declared their retentions ahead of the impending auctions in front of the 17th Indian Premier League (IPL). The two-time champion Kolkata Knight Riders also underwent a significant makeover. Before the new season began, Kolkata kept a number of players, including Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, and many others, under coach Gautam Gambhir, a former player.
Following the announcement of the retentions, former Australian cricketer Tom Moody expressed his opinion that Gambhir had a significant role in the team choosing to keep Russell and Narine ahead of the season.
Gambhir led both Russell and Sunil Narine during their IPL careers, so the two-time winners may gain from keeping them around.
“This year will be significant for both Russell and Narine. They are both a significant part of KKR’s history and have both been outstanding cricket players. In my opinion, Gambhir has played a significant role in keeping Russell and Narine on board. Gambhir can extract the most out of them because he knows them, having played with and captured them, Moody told ESPNcricinfo.
It’s important to remember that Russell and Narine have both had a significant impact on the Kolkata Knight Riders throughout the years. Narine seems to be effective with both the bat and the ball, but Russell is the player that makes the biggest impact with the bat.
Russell hasn’t played much bowling either: Moody
Additionally, Tom Moody discussed how Andre Russell’s ability to sustain his fitness rather than his skills will determine how well he performs. Russell had a lot of injury struggles in the 2023 IPL, but if he can stay healthy, he might be a key member of the KKR team.
In 2024, I believe the results will be different because of what Russell brings to the table. My only reluctance is that I lack expertise. The question is whether he can maintain his physical composure because, in recent years, we have witnessed him break down on a few frightening occasions. They haven’t got access to his entire allotment of overs, and his bowling has also been quite restricted, according to Moody.
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