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Was mentally prepared to bat at 3: Russell
03 May, 2015
Was mentally prepared to bat at 3: Russell
02 May, 2015
With 230 runs and eight wickets Andre Russell has been Kolkata Knight Riders’ most valuable player in Pepsi IPL 2015. Whether it is batting in the slog overs or bowling at the death, the all-rounder from the Caribbean has impacted the game like no other man from KKR has.
Against Royal Challengers Bangalore, in a match that was curtailed to 10-overs per side due to rain, Russell walked in at No. 3 in the fourth over. The batting position was different but his role the same. And he performed it to perfection, slamming 45 off 17 balls to swell KKR’s total to 111 for 4.
With the ball, Russell dismissed the well settled and dangerous looking Virat Kohli to swing the match KKR’s way. However, with Mandeep Singh playing the knock of his life for RCB, Russell failed to defend 13 runs in the final over.
Upset with the result but proud of his own performance, Russell spoke to iplt20.com after the game.
You came in to bat at No. 3 today but the situation was pretty similar to your finishing role.
Yes, in a 10-over game, coming in at No. 3 is as good as coming in as a finisher. I did take a few balls to get going, but once I am in, I tend to go at everything. It was a team plan for me to go in at 3. Given the situation of the game we discussed after a couple of overs that I am going to bat one-down. I was ready and mentally prepared.
Is it tough to plan for a 10-over innings?
For me it is not because I am a big hitter of the ball. I know that once settled I can hit them long. So, it really wasn’t a hard decision.
Does strike rotation go almost out of the picture in such a short innings?
It does. You have to have a big total on the board. You saw what happened tonight; we got a big total and still lost. We have to see where we can get those 10-15 extra runs.
As a bowler, with only two overs to bowl, does it get extremely tough to get into rhythm?
You have to be mentally prepared and very tough. Bowling two overs is not easy because you do not get a chance to make a comeback after you have been hit. You bowl a good ball and get hit for a six because the batsmen swing their bat at everything. What can you do? You just have to keep your chin up, back yourself and think about the next delivery.
