From being unsold on the first day of the 2014 IPL auction to being one of the legends of T20 cricket, Andre Russell has come a long way.
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Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-rounder Andre Russell said that he missed the large crowds that used to gather at stadiums, especially at the country’s oldest cricket stadium which is also the home ground of the Knight Riders, the Eden Gardens. The IPL bio-bubble meant that this was the second straight season that matches would commence behind closed doors and players would have to contend playing without fans in attendance. Russell said that the large crowds keep him going and bring out the fire inside him.
“I miss playing in front of crowds and especially Eden, where I know thousands of people got your back. That keeps me going. And it brings out the fire inside. The loud cheer, even before I face the first ball when I start running onto the crease, those vibes are unreal,” said Russell while interacting with kkr.in.
The West Indian’s IPL career has seen several ups and downs, as he had gotten off to a shaky start at the beginning. He remained unsold in the 2014 auction and was also handed a doping ban in 2017 which rendered him unable to participate in any cricketing activity for a year, including the IPL.
“To be honest, that year was the toughest year. When you’re doing well, sometimes people look for any reason to try and get it down. But that actually made me stronger. You know, Venky (Mysore) reached out to me, said they just want me to have a peaceful year to relax my head and to actually focus on cricket,” Russell said. “Being away from the game for a year, you know a lot of people doubted that I would come back and do the same thing. And I say you know what, this is the big moment. And good players shine in the big games. Three months before the ban lifted, I went on beast mode, getting stronger, losing weight. I came back in 2018 in a good season for KKR,” he concluded.
Russell’s comeback to the IPL in 2018 and the subsequent 2019 season saw him showcase some of the most destructive batting performances in the IPL’s history. The West-Indian scored 316 runs in 16 matches, recording a season-high score of an unbeaten 88. 2019 was even more impressive as Russell, as a middle-order batter, scored a whopping 510 runs in 14 matches, and recorded a season-high score of an unbeaten 80.
