Andre Russell, KKR's standout performer with the ball in their thrilling victory over RCB, emphasized his confidence in his bowling abilities following his impactful display on Sunday, April 21. Russell showcased his all-round skills by contributing with both bat and ball during the match. After making a valuable 27 runs off 20 balls with the bat, Russell shifted the momentum in KKR's favor with a remarkable bowling performance.
Given the ball at a crucial juncture when RCB's Will Jacks and Rajat Patidar were steering the game away, Russell made an immediate impact by dismissing both batsmen in his very first over. His crucial wicket of Dinesh Karthik in the 19th over further solidified KKR's grip on the match, despite a late scare from Karn Sharma. Ultimately, KKR clinched a nail-biting victory by just 1 run.
Reflecting on his performance, Russell expressed gratitude for the opportunity to contribute to his team's success. "Thanks to the almighty. I always back my bowling as I said earlier. Getting the ball at a crucial time, I knew that I had to come good and thankfully it happened today. Happy for the two points," said Russell.
Russell also credited Sunil Narine's crucial wickets in the final over of his spell, which initiated RCB's downfall. He highlighted the importance of mixing up his deliveries against Dinesh Karthik, who was reluctant to rotate the strike to Karn Sharma.
"Those two wickets from Narine were also very important and that’s what started the slide for RCB. When I looked at the bowling equation, I had two left and I conditioned myself to bowl that (19th) over. Tried to give Starc as many runs as I could. DK wasn’t getting off strike so I looked at bowling 6 deliveries to him and mixed it up, thankfully it worked," explained Russell.
Looking ahead, KKR and Russell will aim to carry their winning momentum into their upcoming clash against PBKS on April 26, Friday.
