The T20 World Cup this June in the Caribbean and the United States could be Andre Russell’s final international assignment, though he had said he would come out of retirement if needed.
At 35, the explosive Jamaican all-rounder isn’t getting any younger. However, to prevent age from being a deterrent and affecting his performance, Russell has been putting in the hard work required to remain a match-winner for his team.
The Eden Gardens on Saturday witnessed yet another Russell roar when he smashed an unbeaten 25-ball 64 first-up and followed it with two wickets in as many overs, playing a massive role in the Kolkata Knight Riders’ four-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in their IPL 2024 campaign opener.
“Happy to be taking wickets and scoring 60-odd off 20-odd balls. I would take that any day,” Russell said in a video posted on the Knight Riders’ Instagram handle.
“A lot of hard work has been put in over the last year. I realise that when you’re getting older, you have to cut back on certain things and make sacrifices. I’m happy with how my body feels. I feel light and less weight off my knees as well.
“The more cricket I play, the stronger will I get, the more leaner I will get and the more meaner I will perform,” a determined Russell said.
A combination of power and skill with incredible bat swing is Russell’s strength. And when he gets into his groove, he’s almost impossible to stop.
Even opposition teams are in awe of Russell's power. “At this ground (Eden) in particular, and (no matter) how good the surface is, it's very tricky. Obviously, you get some chances when balls go in the air, but his (Russell’s) power is second to none. So, you have to challenge yourself on being perfect with the execution,” Sunrisers head coach Daniel Vettori said.
“In an environment like this, it's incredibly difficult. We bowled enough good balls together at times, but it wasn't for long enough periods. (Mayank) Markande got three great balls while three of them were slightly overpitched, and he went for 18.
"That's the genius of Russell. You feel like you've some control, but because of his power and the skill, he takes the game away,” Vettori explained.
KKR principal owner Shah Rukh Khan congratulated the team for the win. "It makes us want to do well for the franchise and want to do well in front of him. We just have to do what’s right and make sure we make it count," Russell stated.
