M44: KKR vs KXIP – Man of the Match – Andre Russell 3:39 4,317 Views When he bats, huge targets begin to look small; the leather ball gets dispatched into the crowds frequently, the balls to runs ratio becomes meagre and if you are a bowler, be ready to be smacked around the park. Almost all of it unfolded in one night at the Eden Gardens that was packed to capacity when Andre Russell walked out to bat and wielded his willow like a club. Bowlers were treated with disdain; the ball took a sound beating and was deposited to all parts of the ground as Eden screamed with hope and joy for their new hero - Andre Russell.

 Along with Yusuf Pathan he stitched a game-changing partnership to help his side register a nail-biting one-wicket win. Russell, who scored a power-packed half century laced with five boundaries and four shots over the boundary ropes, was a relieved and satisfied man as he watched his teammate score the winning run off the penultimate ball of the match. He broke into a jig and did his own version of the Gangnam and waved out to the crowd who had come in numbers to witness KKR’s last home game.

With trophies in both his hands and a wide smile, Russell spoke to iplt20.com about his match-winning performance, his admiration for Yusuf Pathan and his cricketing idol - Chris Gayle. Read on to find out more.

You got out at a crucial juncture of the match, some tense moments in the dug-out after that? I was a bit nervous in the dugout at that time. I knew my job was not done yet. But I believed in my teammates to finish the game in our favour.

It is amazing to see everyone chipping in with vital performances at the right time. Tonight Piyush Chawla sprung out one, Brad Hogg scored 5 runs, but they were still vital at the end of the day. Each run counts and it makes a difference and that is exactly what happened tonight.

And what about Yusuf Pathan’s 19-ball 22 blitz with the bat? How is it batting alongside him? Well done to Yusuf Pathan again. He again rose to the occasion. It is just amazing to bat with a guy like Yusuf.

He motivates me to hit bigger sixes. I strongly believe we as a duo are going to augur well for the team. Having two guys there at the crease like that, it is going to be fire from both ends.

You both have similar batting styles, how did you both approach the target when the required rate was close to 11 runs per over?We both wanted to be positive at all times and that was the only thought in both our minds. Yusuf doesn’t really talk too much and I enjoy that part about him. It keeps me thinking about what I want to do.

At times you are batting with a guy who is telling you too many things and passing too much information. At those times your brain becomes too clustered. When you get a ball in your zone you have the guy at the other end who advices you not to play any big shots; he would instead advise you to take singles.

Under such situations you are in two minds and you get out. At that time it is good to have a guy like Yusuf - quiet and has only one message - hit it out of the park.You have a see-ball-hit-ball kind of an approach.

Do you ever think it will backfire at times?That is the way I play my cricket. My style of cricket is all about positivity. Tonight there was no point in time while chasing 180-plus that I had a thought that we cannot get that target.

This is our home ground and when you know the conditions well here I don’t think another opponent should come to our home and defeat us badly. When I walked off the field bowling four overs giving away 50 runs, I told myself that I have to come back and finish on a high. I gave away fifty with the ball, but earned back those runs in kind with the bat.

I am happy. (Laughs)Do you premeditate a shot before the ball is bowled or is it based on instincts?It is purely based on instincts. I don’t think ‘I can hit this ball for six’ or ‘what can I do before the ball is being bowled’.

I don’t even know the amount of time I will have after the ball is bowled. There are guys bowling at you at 90 miles an hour and at times a spinner is bowling slower than another spinner. Sometimes you make up your mind as quick as possible and just be positive.

Do you follow anyone’s footsteps when it comes to playing those big shots?I never loved cricket when I was younger, I would be more into football. I would mostly watch little clips of Sir Vivian Richards. Now I have been watching Chris Gayle and playing with him for the national side.

I consider him my idol. The way he hits the ball and the way he has a balance at the crease is brilliant. I just think whenever you stay still and have a strong base you can hit the ball well.

It has also got to do a lot with your body core and the bat swing. You have a good bat in your hand but if you don’t have a bat swing, the ball won’t go out of the park.That is where the big hitting comes from.

A feisty half-century and a win in the final league game at home. You couldn’t have wrapped up the night any better. Absolutely! I know everyone would have loved the victory going home.

I am sure they are enjoying it. There were some big sixes in the stands as well. People come to see boundaries and I just want to give that chance for them to rejoice.

This game of T20 cricket is exciting and if you can keep hitting those sixes you can keep the crowd happy. I am happy to keep doing my thing. It is coming down to the wire and each game is very crucial from here on.

There is no weak team in the IPL. We have to take each game as it comes and remain positive right throughout..

Source: http://www.iplt20.com/news/2015/features/6663/plan-was-to-not-give-de-kock-room-to-play-his-strokes-karn-sharma