Whenever there will be a conversation about the most impactful and destructive all-rounders in the T20 format, Andre Russell will certainly be among the top names. Russell made his T20I debut for West Indies on April 21, 2011, against Pakistan. Russell’s impressive performances for the West Indies, as well as Jamaica in the domestic circuit, paved the way for him to grab the attention of the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises, with Delhi Capitals (then known as the Delhi Daredevils) purchasing him at the 2012 auction.
After spending two seasons with the Delhi-based franchise, he was signed by Kolkata Knight Riders. He helped KKR win the title in his first season. As Russell turns 36 today, let us take a look at his five best performances in IPL.
80 not out vs Mumbai Indians, 2019
In IPL 2019, Andre Russell had played a fine knock against the Mumbai Indians. Coming down to bat at number 3, Russell smashed 8 sixes and 6 fours en route to an unbeaten 40-ball 80 to help KKR score a mammoth 232. In reply, MI fell short, despite a valiant effort from Hardik Pandya, who scored 91 off just 34 balls. KKR won the game by 34 runs, with Russell picking up two wickets.
66 vs Punjab Kings, 2015
This has to be arguably Andre Russell’s greatest knock in a T20 run chase, coming in IPL 2015 against Punjab Kings (then known as the Kings XI Punjab). PBKS scored 155 runs on a sluggish track after batting first. KKR, with the firepower in their batting lineup, shouldn’t have struggled to chase a target with less than eight runs required per over. But that’s exactly what happened, as Sandeep Sharma took four wickets in his opening spell to dismantle the KKR batting lineup.
At 60/5, the then defending champions were in danger of being blown away. In came ‘Dre Russ’ as a saviour. He scored 66 runs in 36 balls, hitting two sixes and nine boundaries. He was dismissed by Mitchell Johnson, but it was too late as the scores had already been levelled. KKR had won that game by four wickets.
48 not out vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, 2019
In an IPL 2019 fixture against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Andre Russell stood tall like a champion, obliterating everything coming his way. KKR were batting second, and Russell walked in at 15.4 overs. At that stage, KKR needed 68 runs to win in 26 balls. Russell seemed to be struggling initially, scoring one run in his first four balls.
With 52 needed from 16 balls, and the run rate touching almost 20, Russell smashed three sixes in three balls. The equation at the end of the 18th over stood at 30 runs required in 12 balls, a far less daunting challenge. The 19th over, bowled by the experienced Tim Southee, saw Shubman Gill take a single off the first ball.
Russell was back on strike, but he was intent on finishing the game in that over itself, smoking Southee for four sixes and one four on the remaining five balls to level the scores. On the first ball of the final over, Gill took a single to seal the victory, and Russell was awarded the Man of the Match.
88 not out vs Chennai Super Kings, 2018
Andre Russell registered his highest score in IPL in April 2018, against Chennai Super Kings. Russell smashed 88 runs at a strike rate of 244.44, smashing 11 sixes and one boundary to help KKR post 202 runs on the board. Even though CSK ultimately won the match on the penultimate ball, it showed just how reliable Russell can be in pressure situations.
64 not out vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 2024
In KKR’s opening game of IPL 2024, Andre Russell enthralled everyone with a fiery knock of 25-ball 64. His blistering innings included seven sixes and three boundaries. The West Indies international was fantastic in the last eight overs, helping KKR reach a solid total of 208. SRH came close, losing the fixture by just four runs, which puts more emphasis on just how important Russell’s knock was. Russell had also picked up two wickets in that contest.
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