He also recalled Russell's incredibel KKR v SRH knock from last IPL season.
India’s star swing bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar heaped praise on the dangerous West Indian hard-hitter Andre Russell for his thundersome batting prowess while recalling an Indian Premier League (IPL) from the last season when he single-handedly won the match for Kolkata Knight Riders.
Russell, one of the greatest batsmen in the T20 format, is known for his monstrous hitting, sheer power, and the ability to hit the ball 360 degrees around the ground apart from his spectacular performances in the high-pressure situations in the match. The Jamaican has also been brilliant with the ball as well that makes him one of the elite all-rounders in the world cricket.
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The previous edition of the IPL 2019 was fabulous for Russell as the hard-hitter enthralled the fans with his wonderful batting throughout the tournament and finished with 510 runs at 56.66.
He had also brought storms with his power-hitting in an IPL 2019 match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad when the KKR needed 53 off last three overs, as the right-hander took the charge of the team and played one of the best and breathtaking knocks of his career 19-ball-49 to take his team to victory.
Recalling Russell’s furious innings, the SRH bowler Bhuvneshwar said luck plays a crucial factor while bowling the all-rounder as his mishits also have the ability to clear the rope.
Bhuvneshwar told Deep Dasgupta in a chat on ESPN Cricinfo: “I remember the first match of the last IPL, where I was the captain and he scored 52-odd runs in the final three overs. I still remember two-three of his sixes were so long that normal batsmen wouldn’t have managed even after middling the ball,”
On being asked how to deal Russell, the Indian pacer said, “One thing which matters a lot is the ground you’re playing on. Dimensions of the ground, boundary, and all matters a lot. You’re generally aware of the dimensions of the ground before the match, and you have a plan on where to bowl. But Russell is a powerful batsman, even his mishits go for a six, as we saw in the last IPL season.”
He signed off by saying, “So, somewhere down the line, you hope that he misses one ball. Or that his mistimed shots don’t go over the boundary. These things matter a lot. A lot of bowlers in the last IPL, including me, bowled yorkers on his legs and then one wide outside off to bluff him but he used to hit those balls for a six even while losing balance. He is such a great player against whom luck matters a lot.”
(With ESPN Cricinfo Inputs)