Kolkata Knight Riders didn't get off the best of starts in IPL 2020. They were outflanked by safeguarding champions Mumbai Indians. In any case, KKR is a side one can never mess with, just on the grounds that they have one of the most damaging T20 batsmen of world cricket – Andre Russell.
Andre Russell's heroics in the last two periods of IPL – where he scored at a strike rate more than 180 in pretty much every game, brought forth an inquiry in each resistance chief's brain – How would you bowl to Andre Russell?
Delhi Capitals off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin did the sharpest thing and posed a similar inquiry to KKR commander Dinesh Karthik.
“How do you bowl to him? His miss-hit is a six with 8m clearance, decent hit 15m and a whack is out of the ground. As a captain how can an opposition bowler bowl to him?” asked Ashwin to Karthik in a YouTube show called ‘Hello Dubaiahh’ hosted by the former.
Karthik, who has been leading Russell from IPL 2018, gave a hilarious answer.
“First pray to God. Give him an offering. Pray that he’s in a bad mood, and then go for IPL. Then the day, the wicket, the conditions (matter),” Karthik said.
Karthik added that the mere sight of Russell walking into bat is ‘scary’ and he compared Russell’s mannerisms to that of a wrestler.
“Just watching him walk in is scary. He comes in like a wrestler. What a build-up he gives while doing that. He’s a brilliant character. With his muscles and all, he looks like an MMA fighter,” Karthik added.
“But he’s scared of everything. He’s scared of driving cars, or even when the bus swerves, he gets scared. He said he’ll never be on a rollercoaster.
“Never judge a book by its cover. The only thing he’s not scared of is the ball,” Karthik said.
Russell was excused for 11 and got 1 wicket for 17 in KKR's first match. He will hope to take the middle stage when KKR take on Sunrisers Hyderabad.