Chris Gayle was sitting on 20 runs off 12 balls. Having come from swatting Lockie Ferguson for a six over mid-on, those muscular levers were beginning to loosen and the signs were ominous for the Kolkata Knight Riders.
To which Andre Russell came in to save the situation, with his summer bleached Mohawk and muscular levers of his own, striding to the bowling crease with the intent he has found in his batting.
The ball was short and directed at Gayle’s body, short enough to be sent over the ropes towards mid-wicket, but also short enough to give him a problem. And as two Knight Rider fielders converged on the dropping ball with the risk of collision, the risk was worth it – Gayle was caught by Prasidh Krishna off Russell’s bowling to the relief of the players in purple and gold.
More muscle from Andre Russell!????
Both with the bat & now with the ball????????#KKRvKXIP #VIVOIPL #KKRHaiTaiyaar pic.twitter.com/FyDdwHP3yl— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) March 27, 2019
Russell was cool, calm and collected as if to signal a clear understanding of what he was trying to do.
And as he went on to collect the wicket of Sarfaraz Khan with a slower ball, the Knight Riders won their second game so far with a 28-run victory over the Kings XI Punjab, but it’s Russell’s batting that is making these victories possible.
With a strike rate of 264.44 and an average of 97.00, he has started the tournament like a house on fire, sending the ball to all corners of Eden Gardens in the two matches that he has dominated from the start, playing a significant role as the Knight Riders destroyer.
Here, he had been given a reprieve on the fifth ball he faced – he was bowled for three by Mohammed Shami, but a no-ball was called as Kings XI had three fielders in the ring – and for a player of his destructive potential, a second chance is criminal. He went on to score 45 runs off his next 12 balls, that branded SS-bat working overtime like Raiden in the final round of Versus Mode in Mortal Kombat X as he punished his opponents for a schoolboy error.
VIDEO : Shami Clean Bowled Russell , But Umpire called It’s a No-Ball https://t.co/QGncpiIgbQ pic.twitter.com/FzVGq9u1l9
— The12thman (@the12thmantimes) March 27, 2019
There was a particular air of dominance about him. In Shami’s final over, Russell hit the fifth ball for six. Checking his bat afterwards, it seemed to have broken, to his annoyance. He re-grouped, waited for Shami to pump in and bowl, and proceeded to slap him through cover for four, the ball travelling like a tracer bullet to the boundary. Russell was unapologetic, and when he was finally dismissed legally, the damage had already been done.
Four wickets so far, too, have made him one of the all-rounders to look out for going forward. Maybe there is good that comes out of becoming a Twenty20 specialist at number five or six, relying on one’s natural instincts to attack rather than play within yourself.
This is what T20 cricket is all about, and why it was introduced – to keep spectators on the edge of their seats, getting their money’s worth with explosive, non-stop action from ball one.
And as the Kings XI ended the night on 190/4, Russell’s clarity seems to be the Knight Riders’ clarity and Andre, the fearless one may be the perfect fit for the Knight Riders’ aggressive style, a team looking to win their third IPL title in its 12 editions.
A score of 218 was always going to be a difficult one to chase down, but the bowling plan was as obvious as a 24-hour day, and as aggressive as the batting – getting into the batsman’s face, making it difficult to score and most importantly, aiming to take wickets. Prasidh, Ferguson and Russell were quick and somewhat uncomfortable, whilst Kuldeep Yadav and Piyush Chawla were tidy enough to compliment the fast bowlers and keep the score down.
Kitish Rana has also bought into this aggressive style, having scores of 68 and 63 in his first two innings at a strike rate of 161.72. Sunil Narine scored 24 runs off nine, a pinch-hitting opener who has a strike rate of 148 in the first ten balls he faces of each innings since 2016. The aggression is contagious, as if to live and die by the sword, but if it brings positive results then why not go on in this fashion?
Making it a habit ????
Presenting the Man of the match, @Russell12A ????#KKRvKXIP #VIVOIPL #AndreRussell #KKRHaiTaiyaar pic.twitter.com/BDzHQlju0K— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) March 27, 2019
And in amongst all of this, Robin Uthappa played his part with a controlled unbeaten 67, the sort of anchor that can allow the more expressive batsmen to flourish.
It won’t always be like this, the signature KKR anthem booming around like an overplayed but never tiring summer hit, but this should be the way the Knight Riders approach each and every game.
They sit at the top of the standings on four points, and as Russell left the field after being dismissed, the sense is that this could be their year. With two Player of the Match awards to his name, he fears no one, just like his team, and if everything falls into place, how will they be stopped?
