Dubai: West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell’s records in the Indian Premier League (IPL) show why bowlers from all around the world do not like facing him. And if everyone remembers, the right-hander’s unbeaten 13-ball 48 for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their 2019 IPL opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens is a testimony of what damage Russell can do.
The Jamaican not only won KKR the match from the jaws of defeat but also scored 510 runs from 14 games at a strike rate of 204.81. Overall, he has played 64 IPL games and has a strike rate of 186.41. KKR left-arm chinaman Kuldeep Yadav too expressed about his experience of bowling Russell in the nets.
The 25-year-old explained why he finds it a tough move to deal with. “To be very honest I don’t like to bowl to Andre Russell during the nets sessions because you tend to get scared when he goes for the big one, and sometimes he misses out and it comes straight to you,” Kuldeep told News 18.
“Difficult to adjust yourself but yeah, if you are bowling to him you get a lot of experience to bowl in death overs or big-hitting batsmen. It’s a good experience for me and he’s definitely one of the best T20 players and we’re lucky to have him,” he further added.
The 2012 and 2014 IPL champions will be aiming towards winning their third title when 13th edition of IPL kicks off on September 19 in the UAE. KKR will play their opener against Mumbai Indians on September 23 in Abu Dhabi.
