Kolkata Knight Riders collapsed dramatically for 95 against Punjab Kings in Mullanpur on an apparently easy chase of 112 runs. What had at first appeared to be standard IPL revelry has morphed into some killer questions surrounding KKR's game plan, although the urgent calls for change within the team remain heard. Andre Russell and his shattering form within the team at an awkwardly significant time has become one of the main talking points as far as the team's la-dee-dah chase goes. Russell was once insulted as the backbone of KKR's finishing line-up but hasn't proven himself this season. Russell was the last man standing against Punjab. He lofted Yuzvendra Chahal for a six and a four but was unable to connect with the final delivery from Marco Jansen, getting bowled and gifting the win to the Punjab Kings. Russell's woes have not been confined to this match only. He has had a very, very poor season despite being a star. With five innings behind him, he has stuttered to only 34 runs. Seemingly out of touch, he has been experiencing troubles reading the line of satellites swinging in and out, thus throwing his wicket away too easily. A match for the ages! ❤PBKS hold their nerve and defend a mere 111 in a jaw-dropping thriller!😱#IndianPossible League#IPLonJioStar 👉 #DCvRR | WED, 16 APR | 6:30 PM LIVE on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 Hindi & JioHotstar! pic.twitter.com/iCPGkWw1aa — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) April 15, 2025 KKR has had four chases this season, out of which two were lost. In fact, Russell failed miserably in both the defeats. Against LSG, he did not need to bat, but during the times when KKR needed his experience, he could not deliver them. One among them is the 7-run knock against LSG, in case of a close loss, and also the failure before PBKS. His use with location upgrades improves his chances. He's bowled thrice out of seven, making him no regular bowler. Although somewhere deep inside, the team still thinks of him as a significant batter and finisher, slowly that factor is being overshadowed. Also Read: KKR Collapse Chasing 111 as Chahal, Iyer Shine for Punjab Andre Russell in IPL 2025: Match Bat Bowl Date Ground KKR vs PBKS 17 — 15-Apr-2025 Mullanpur KKR vs CSK — — 11-Apr-2025 Chennai KKR vs LSG 7 1/32 08-Apr-2025 Eden Gardens KKR vs SRH 1 2/21 03-Apr-2025 Eden Gardens KKR vs MI 5 2/35 31-Mar-2025 Wankhede KKR vs RR — — 26-Mar-2025 Guwahati KKR vs RCB 4 — 22-Mar-2025 Eden Gardens It breaks the heart to see one of the greats struggle, and now there are evident signs. As the bat starts shining a little less for Russell, the rare bowling spell does the team no good. The KKR needs to re-evaluate whether he still fits in their plans as a finisher or if they should be looking at some fresh options. Indeed, Russell has some cricket left in him, but his relevance as a player in the world's leading T20 league has begun to fade. Bravo and Pollard already shifted attention to coaching and mentorship roles within the IPL, which have been hallmarks of Russell's era in the Caribbean.