IPL 2019: Gautam Gambhir criticizes Andre Russell over his 'unhealthy' comments

What's the story?

A disappointed former KKR skipper Gautam Gambhir criticized Andre Russell for his comments about the team environment.

In case you didn't know...

Having reached the playoffs on six occasions in the last eight seasons (includes two titles), the Kolkata franchise has been a formidable unit in the lucrative league. In spite of beginning this season on an incredible note (won four out of the first five games), Dinesh Karthik's men are in danger of losing the playoffs spot having lost six consecutive matches before ending their streak against Mumbai Indians at home three days ago.

Meanwhile, star all-rounder Andre Russell questioned the team atmosphere on the eve of their game against Mumbai on April 28. Russell said,

"It’s (atmosphere) not healthy, to be honest. I’m feeling down at the moment. As cricketers, we have to have the passion inside, and not just to show it on TV. I find myself just been in my room for the last couple of days, losing games after games. I’m not the type of guy to do the walking around. It’s hard to do the walk around losing six games in a row."

The heart of the matter

Gambhir who was hurt by KKR results and such comments lashed out at the players. The southpaw said,

"It’s unfortunate. We had created a legacy after what KKR had gone through in the first three years. We have worked really hard to create a legacy, create a culture, and for seven years we had given our blood, heart and soul to it.

Now suddenly players come out in the open and start talking about the culture. It is not a happy environment, that kind of stuff." Gambhir further added,

"Hopefully, things will fall in place. I wish KKR all the best, I want them to be the top side. Hopefully, this is just one bad season".

What's next?

The Knight Riders will be up against Kings XI Punjab at Mohali on Friday (May 3rd) before travelling to Mumbai for their final league fixture against Rohit Sharma's men at the Wankhede Stadium.

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