Andre Russell’s 40-ball 80*: Twitter was exhilarated on how KKR all-rounder played another emphatic innings in IPL 2019.
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During the 47th match of the ongoing 12th season of the Indian Premier League between Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians at Kolkata, Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Andre Russell registered his eighth IPL half-century to propel his team to a dominating 232/2 in 20 overs.
After Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and put the hosts in to bat, KKR scored runs from the word go. The opening pair of Shubman Gill (76) and Chris Lynn (54) joined hands to stitch a 96-run partnership for the first wicket.
What became as a source of amazement from Kolkata was the fact that they sent in Russell at No. 3 after he questioned the team’s decision-making this season on the eve of the match. The 30-year old cricketer initially batted like a No. 3. However, after getting his eye in, Russell was seen taking on bowlers of the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Lasith Malinga.
Coming in to bat in the 10th over, Russell ended up scoring 80* (40) with the help of six fours and eight sixes. It was his 28-ball 72-run stand for the third wicket alongside captain Dinesh Karthik which have placed the hosts where they are in this match.
With KKR’s Top three batsmen scoring individual half-centuries, they were always looking to post a potentially match-winning total. Given how well Russell has played this season, one falls short of words to describe his sheer excellence. In 12 IPL 2019 matches, Russell has scored 486 runs at an average of 69.42 and a strike rate of 207.69.
How Twitter reacted:
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