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Xtratime Web Desk : Two times Indian Premier League champion Kolkata Knight Riders is struggling big time in the ongoing IPL 2021 season. After winning their first match Kolkata failed to win their next two games. Against Mumbai they have lost the match from a position of winning. Royal Challengers Bangalore literally blew them away.

　

Many pundits have criticised the captaincy of Eoin Morgan for the debacle.Many have pointed out the fielding and bowling as the weak link for KKR. On the field they have leaked too many runs. Fitness level is the biggest issue that at the moment they are facing. Players like Varun Chakraborty when they are fielding in the deep are unable to cut sharp single or prevent two runs.

　

Most striking point is the absence of batting form of Carribbean all rounder Andre Russell. After 2019 he is struggling big time with his batting form. In 2020 at Emirates he struggled with the bat.KKR also struggled alongside him.Russell is not someone whom we are used to see scoring 10 runs from 20 balls and so on. Former England captain Michael Vaughan expressed his view on the matter in hand.

During a discussion with a popular cricket website Vaughan says "When 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."

He also added "When he 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. 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.


Vaughan signed off by saying "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."