KKR CEO Venky Mysore recalled Andre Russell's brilliant 19-ball 49* innings against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2019 edition of the IPL.
Andre Russell remains one of the most explosive players in the shortest format of the game. His exploits in the 2019 edition of the Indian Premier League remain fresh in the memories of many cricket fans. One of his best innings in the tournament came against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the group stages, where he remained unbeaten on 49 off just 19 deliveries to almost single-handedly steer the side to a memorable victory.
With 52 needed off just 18 deliveries, Russell combined with Shubman Gill to smash 19 runs in the 18th over and 21 runs in the 19th, before Gill finished the run-chase with two deliveries to spare.
Recalling the game, KKR CEO Venky Mysore revealed that the crowd reactions to Russell's strokes drew him to tears, and that he will miss the presence of fans in the upcoming edition of the tournament.
“I think it’s safe to say that it’ll be very different. In the IPL, the players will experience no crowds for the first time,” Mysore told Sportskeeda in a Facebook live interview
“Last year, we were playing a game against Sunrisers and it was an impossible situation. One of the best death bowlers in Bhuvneshwar Kumar was bowling and he (Andre Russell) went in,” Mysore recalled.
“It was Andre Russell’s day and he took him apart. There was one shot he played to a slowish ball outside off-stump. He could barely reach it but he hit it for six. I asked him after the game what that shot was,”
“He said, ‘Man, I don’t know. When I’m playing like that, the crowd gets me going. After I hit that shot, the way the crowd reacted, I had goosebumps and tears in my eyes’. This is the impact the crowd has on the players,” the KKR CEO further said.
The 13th edition of the IPL is set to begin on September 19, with the final taking place on November 8 in the United Arab Emirates.
