Since his knee surgery in 2019, Andre Russell has not really been as destructive as he once was. Russell smashed 51- runs at a strike-rate of 204.81 in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019, but since then managed just 117 and 183 runs in the next two seasons. Last year though, he seemed to be back to his best, scoring 335 runs at a strike-rate of 174.48, but this year again, he is yet to play a substantial knock.

The all-rounder has managed just 108 runs in eight matches so far, and with the ball, he has struck just five times, conceding at 10.58 an over.

In a chat with Star Sports, Russell said that his IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), with whom he has been associated with since 2014 have gone out of their way to ensure that he receives the best treatment for his knee, something that even West Indies have not done.

“Where I was, a few years ago, KKR actually made things happen for me where they sent me to get proper treatments on my knees. That's something special to me to be honest. No other franchise or even my country never really invested that much on me,” Russell said.

“I'm happy here. I don't see any other franchise I would love to be a part of in this tournament because I've been here for about nine years now. Been here for so many years, I meet these guys, get closer to them every year. When cricket isn't there, I'm still in communication with Mr Venky [Mysore]. I look up to him, I really respect him."

KKR are currently languishing in seventh place in the IPL 2023 table with just three wins in eight games. They take on defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) next on Saturday (April 29) at Eden Gardens in a must-win encounter.