On Thursday, April 9, Rishabh Pant’s Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) defeated Ajinkya Rahane’s Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 3 wickets at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
In the IPL 2026, Kolkata Knight Riders lost 4 matches in a row and currently, they are in the 9th position of the points table.
However, Kolkata Knight Riders’ assistant coach Shane Watson and Power coach Andre Russell recently opened up on their on-field experiences and battles. Meanwhile, Andre Russell also shared his transition as a coach from player.
KKR assistant coach Shane Watson praises Andre Russell’s longevity
Shane Watson praised star all-rounder, Andre Russell for his longevity and impact on the game, “There aren’t too many who have come through pushing the limits of being a fast-bowling all-rounder, and I’ve always had that much respect because I know how hard it is.”
Andre Russell opens up about unique Power coach role with KKR
Andre Russell opened up about his journey with KKR as a new role of Power Coach, “No team has ever had a power coach. My job is to show how important boundaries are in T20s, especially sixes. My role is basically to get players into the right position for whatever delivery a bowler is going to try and outfox them with,” Russell said.
“The job is not to change a player or coach him on how to swing his bat or make contact, but actually to be clear and add more power-hitting skills to his game. So it’s going fantastic so far,” he added.
Andre Russell shares first coaching experience on match day
Andre Russell also revealed his first experience on match day as a coach instead of player, “My first game on match day, I didn’t know what to do with myself. I was just there ensuring that, okay, I’m a coach now… it was just something different.”
Russell said that becoming a coach after playing for so many years has been emotional, especially during matches when he still feels like stepping in and getting involved, “I’ve had those moments where I see the game getting into a situation where I would be the man for the job, and I just have to catch myself.”
