‘Jos Buttler is the one who hurt us in that game’ - Andre Russell reflects on fixture against Rajasthan Royals

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), who are currently in eighth place on the points table, will face Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday. It's KKR's final match at this venue. Also, this is a crucial match for them to keep their playoff hopes alive. 

Retained KKR all-rounder Andre Russell believes his team can beat the Royals, who are currently in the 3rd place at the points table of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. The West Indies cricketer stated they could even break their five-match losing streak.

The Knight Riders had a terrific start to the IPL 2022 season, winning three of their first four games. However, after a promising start, the team has lost five of their last six games. Moreover, the Shreyas Iyer-led side has struggled to produce consistent performance in all departments.

Meanwhile, Russell - the only consistent Knight this season - thinks Kolkata will have to play smarter to keep pressure on the Rajasthan. 

"Now that we have played them, we know what their attack will be looking like. We know what their bowlers will look to do and who we need to focus on," Russell told Star Sports. 

"Jos Buttler is the one who hurt us in that game. We are not going in the game focusing on just Jos Buttler because if it's not his day, we can't get him out cheaply, celebrate big and pretend that we have won the game," he added further.

Russell believes they should click as a team in the remaining games, and they need to build winning momentum to reach the IPL 2022 playoffs, admitting that Kolkata could have won some of the games they lost.

"We have lost a few games that should have got us two points. Not saying that we are dwelling on the past but I think it's not a long tournament. With 14 games, they keep coming at you. Once you gain that winning momentum, it's very important and that's what we are basically searching for right now," the hard-hitting all-rounder suggested. 

"We have to be a bit more fearless in terms of decision-making. We have to do whatever it takes to do something different and get those two points. We all have to come together as a unit and do it," Russell signed off.