Gautam Gambhir "quite pivotal" in Andre Russell and Sunil Narine's retentions, says Tom Moody

Former Australian all-rounder Tom Moody believes Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) mentor Gautam Gambhir was "quite pivotal" in the team's decision to retain veteran West Indies all-rounders Andre Russell and Sunil Narine ahead of the IPL 2024 auction.

Russell and Narine joined KKR in 2014 and 2012, respectively. The Windies duo were roped in during Gambhir's seven-year tenure as the franchise's captain between 2011 and 2017. Since then, the pair have gone through innumerable star performances, ups and downs, and injuries but have been backed by the franchise to the tilt.

Gambhir recently left Lucknow Super Giants to return to his old team as a mentor. After his arrival, reports suggested that KKR might trade out Russell to free some cash but the team let go of most of its bowling attack instead.

“This is going to be a telling year for both Russell and Narine. They both have been phenomenal cricketers for KKR and are really a part of their history. I feel that Gambhir has been quite pivotal in the retention of Russell and Narine. Gambhir understands them, he’s played with them, he’s captained them and he’ll be able to get the best out of them,” Moody told ESPNcricinfo.

Russell has over 2,200 runs and 96 wickets while Narine has 163 wickets in the IPL. Both players failed to make a big impact as KKR finished seventh last season.

KKR failed to find the perfect batting spot for Russell (like it has been an issue for a long time) and Narine, though economical, didn't contribute a lot of wickets.

"We’ve seen him break down" - Moody on Russell

Moody backed Russell to have a better time than last season in IPL 2024 but was quick to add that the "only hesitation" with him is fitness.

“I think we’ll see a different outcome in 2024 with regards to what Russell brings to the table. The only hesitation I have is not skill. It’s whether he can hold together physically because we’ve seen him break down on a couple of occasions over recent years and it’s been quite alarming. His bowling has been pretty limited as well, and they haven’t had the access to his full quota of overs,” Moody added.

Although KKR now have Rinku Singh to share Russell's lower-order burden, they might want to find an all-rounder who can be the latter's backup in the team.