"We have Rinku Singh also" - KKR star defends Andre Russell's batting position in IPL 2025

Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) vice-captain Venkatesh Iyer has defended the team management's decision to bat Andre Russell in the lower-order in the IPL 2025 matches they have played so far. Admitting that Russell is a proven performer, Venkatesh asserted that KKR also have the likes of Rinku Singh and Ramandeep Singh, who can perform a similar attacking role with the willow.

Russell (36) is a veteran of 132 IPL matches and has a strike rate of 173.68 in the T20 league. He has, however, batted at No. 7 or lower in four innings in IPL 2025, raising some question marks over his role in the team. The hard-hitting batter has faced only 20 balls so far, in which he has scored 17.

At a press conference ahead of the KKR's clash against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Venkatesh backed the team's decision to hold back Russell in the batting line-up. He said (as quoted by ESPNcricinfo):

"I think from the analytics point of view, entry point is a huge thing. Once you assess if a certain pitch is going to suit an individual or not, you decide his entry point whether it will be early or give him a few overs.

"Obviously, people [outside] would be talking about when he should come and when he should not. But we should not forget that we have Rinku Singh also. We have Ramandeep Singh also. Yes, Dre [Andre Russell] has been doing this for a very long time, but we have got able competition for him as well," the 30-year-old went on to add.

While Russell has not had much to do with the bat in IPL 2025, he has chipped in with the ball, claiming five wickets in three innings at an average of 17.60.

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"It's going to be a huge factor" - Venkatesh Iyer on KKR spinner Varun Chakaravarthy playing on his home ground

Leg spinner Varun Chakaravarthy has yet again been one of the star performers for Kolkata in IPL 2025. In five matches, he has picked up six wickets at an average of 20.83 and an economy rate of 6.57. When KKR take on CSK on Friday, the Tamil Nadu spinner will be playing on his home ground - Chepauk. Venkatesh reckoned that it could be a big factor and commented:

"Irrespective of the conditions, I think Varun is a world-class spinner now. But yeah, him playing in his home ground is going to be of huge importance. It's going to be a huge factor as well, also considering that Ajinkya played here for two years, Moeen Ali played for two years. So, I think we've got a good think tank as well with regards to how this pitch will play."

Defending champions KKR have had a mixed start to IPL 2025. They are currently sixth in the points table, with two wins and three losses from five games.