New Delhi, May 5 Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) veteran all-rounder Andre Russell said he knew a big score from him was around the corner, citing that he was hitting the ball well in practice sessions.
At the Eden Gardens, Russell, who was struggling for good batting form, smashed 41 runs in 12 balls in the death overs, to end up at 57 not out off 25 balls, as KKR made 206/4 in 20 overs, which was enough to beat Rajasthan Royals (RR) by just one run.
"It's been a bit dry for the last couple of games, but I've been hitting the ball well in practice, so I know something big was coming. I wasn't worried about my technique or what was going on. Good to hit some balls in the crowd and just to get that big cheer and the most important thing is we finish with a win here," he said in a video posted on iplt20.com on Monday.
Though Russell bowled just one over and conceded 11 runs for no wicket, he was still pleased with how his bowling efforts had been. "When I look and see how things have been going and the bowling attack that we have, it's just simple for me to give myself another role where I come in and bowl some yorkers in the back end and try to execute.
"If I get 12 balls to bowl, I try to execute eight or nine or maybe the entire 12, but we are human beings and we're going to miss our length at times, but I try to execute as much as possible. I'm happy to play that role because my bowling complements my batting and my batting complements the bowling. So I think once I'm getting runs, the confidence is going into the bowling and that's when you're an all-rounder, you look forward to these nights," he elaborated.
The thrilling win over RR ensured KKR managed to keep themselves in contention for the playoffs. "I think as professionals, this is a part of the game where it comes down to the wire and I think Vaibhav kept his cool and executed a good yorker. I can finally breathe now. I was worried if it's gonna go into a super over or they're gonna get a four somewhere or whatever, but a win is a win.
"Just stay calm, we are professionals. We have your backs. The fans, they have our backs and we have to make sure that we fight for them and not to worry about nothing. We have it covered," concluded Russell.
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