NEW DELHI: Andre Russell turned in a vintage performance at Eden Gardens on Sunday, hammering an unbeaten 57 off 25 balls to help Kolkata Knight Riders post a commanding 206/4 against Rajasthan Royals in their crucial IPL 2025 clash.
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The 37-year-old all-rounder smashed six sixes and four fours, sharing a blazing 34-run stand with Rinku Singh (19* off 6) in the final 11 deliveries.
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The innings not only helped KKR post a formidable total but also saw Russell become just the third batter to complete 1000 IPL runs at Eden Gardens, after Gautam Gambhir (1407) and Robin Uthappa (1159).
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Russell, who celebrated his 37th birthday recently, brushed off age concerns, saying: “I think age is just a number. Still feeling like 27. Happy with the performance tonight.”
He acknowledged that conditions were tricky early in his innings, and credited his decision-making against the spinners. “I was worried when I looked at the scoreboard. I never worry about dot balls but I realised the wicket was gripping,” Russell said during the mid-innings interview.
“I didn’t want to take risk against Theekshana, so when he came back to bowl, I took him on. Spinners were on, my strong point is to get away from the spinners as much as possible. They were bowling in good areas — Hasaranga was also bowling well — so I didn’t want to take them early on.”
“The wicket was a bit slow, it was gripping. I enjoy this role. The more overs I have, I can make an impact,” he added.
With KKR needing to win all four of their remaining games to reach the playoffs, Russell’s return to form couldn’t have come at a better time.
Also visit: IPL Live Score
The 37-year-old all-rounder smashed six sixes and four fours, sharing a blazing 34-run stand with Rinku Singh (19* off 6) in the final 11 deliveries.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
The innings not only helped KKR post a formidable total but also saw Russell become just the third batter to complete 1000 IPL runs at Eden Gardens, after Gautam Gambhir (1407) and Robin Uthappa (1159).
Who's that IPL player?
Russell, who celebrated his 37th birthday recently, brushed off age concerns, saying: “I think age is just a number. Still feeling like 27. Happy with the performance tonight.”
He acknowledged that conditions were tricky early in his innings, and credited his decision-making against the spinners. “I was worried when I looked at the scoreboard. I never worry about dot balls but I realised the wicket was gripping,” Russell said during the mid-innings interview.
“I didn’t want to take risk against Theekshana, so when he came back to bowl, I took him on. Spinners were on, my strong point is to get away from the spinners as much as possible. They were bowling in good areas — Hasaranga was also bowling well — so I didn’t want to take them early on.”
“The wicket was a bit slow, it was gripping. I enjoy this role. The more overs I have, I can make an impact,” he added.
With KKR needing to win all four of their remaining games to reach the playoffs, Russell’s return to form couldn’t have come at a better time.
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