IPL 2021: 'Andre Russell is very difficult to manage for Eoin Morgan' - Michael Vaughan

Andre Russell's fitness struggles during the ongoing IPL 2021 has caught the attention of former England captain Michael Vaughan.

Vaughan believes managing the big-hitting allrounder is becoming a difficult task for KKR captain Eoin Morgan and coach Brendon McCullum.

Russell, who has a history of knee injuries and had to undergo surgery for the same in 2019, has been running gingerly on the field and took zero doubles in his 31-run knock during KKR's 38-run defeat to RCB in Chennai yesterday.

Russell has failed to fire for KKR again

Taking note of the situation during a discussion on Cricbuzz, Vaughan said that Morgan will have to be really careful while managing KKR's star allrounder.

"You got player like Andre Russell, who has been a superstar, but on the field, when the ball is coming to him, he is always using his feet. He is obviously someone who cannot go down. It's a very clever and careful aspect which Eoin Morgan will have to manage.

Vaughan further pointed out Andre Russell's refusal to even attempt to take doubles in the penultimate over bowled by Mohammed Siraj during the match against the RCB.

Fewest runs conceded by a bowler against Andre Russell in a death over in IPL (Min. 5 balls bowled)1*(6) Siraj (19th), Chennai 20216*(6) DChahar (19th), Chennai 20197*(5) Chahal (17th), Kolkata 20167*(5) Kuggeleijn (18th), Chennai 2019+ Only Siraj didn't concede a boundary

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With 44 runs needed to off 2 overs, Russell failed to clear the fence on the first five deliveries bowled by Siraj. He did not attempt a single double-run even though the ball went to the fielders on the boundary line on four occasions.

"When he (Andre Russell) is at his best, he is great. But when you see him on the field, and when is bowling, he appears to be struggling. While batting he is not taking the twos."

"He needed to take the twos in the 19th over. Because you want him back on strike. Very difficult to manage for Brendon McCullum and Eoin Morgan.

'Bad look for the team when you've got a player struggling with his body' - Michael Vaughan on Andre Russell and KKR's struggles.

Andre Russell has been playing for the Shahrukh Khan-owned franchise since the 2014 IPL and has produced some phenomenal performances with both bat and ball. It has propelled him to the superstar status in the cricketing world.

Highest T20 Batting Strike Rates in (17-20) overs (Min. 1000 runs)224.86 - AB de Villiers203.09 - Virat Kohli202.12 - Andre Russell

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However, he has failed to live up to his own high standards after the knee surgery in 2019 and his low returns have adversely affected KKR's performances in IPL 2020 as well as the ongoing edition.

It would be one thing if Russell was still scoring those phenomenal sixes and helping KKR win matches from impossible situations. However, that is not the case and his lack of form with the bat means his poor mobility on the field comes under the scanner.

Michael Vaughan opined that Andre Russell's fielding issues are a huge contributing factor in making KKR look bad on the field.

“I think in modern-day cricket, you need 9-10 players in a team who are absolutely agile on the field. But when you see KKR on the field, they don’t look electric. It’s a difficult one.

"How can you leave at Russell. But when you look at him on the field, and when he is bowling. it’s a bad look for the team when you got a player who is really struggling with his body", finished Michael Vaughan.