MUMBAI, India, CMC – Englishman Sam Billings has hailed Andre Russell’s sensational six-hitting ability after the powerful West Indies all-rounder smashed an unbeaten 70 to fire Kolkata Knight Riders to victory over Punjab Kings here Friday.
Chasing 138 at the Wankhede Stadium, KKR sped to their target with 33 balls to spare to win by six wickets, with Russell lashing a couple of fours and eight massive sixes to spearhead the run chase.
Significantly, he put on an exhilarating 90 in an unbroken fifth wicket stand with Billings who was content to watch the exhibition of power-hitting in an unbeaten 24 from 23 deliveries.
“He’s shown what a world class performer [he is] – best in the world when he goes like that – so for me it’s just about holding the game there and supporting him. He was the star … ,” Billings said afterwards.
“If he was to get out, it’s about taking the game deep on a pitch that offered some assistance to the bowlers. It was just about that clarity, let him go and play his game. He can win a game as we saw in the space of five overs.
“Baz (head coach Brendon McCullum) always backs every individual to do that and when you have a world class performer like that, you see the destruction he can cause.” Russell started slowly before upping the tempo, his fifty coming from 26 balls as he helped pulled KKR around from danger at 51 for four in the seventh over.
He finished the match in style, lashing back-to-back sixes off Billings’s fellow countryman Liam Livingstone.
“I had the best seat in the house – what a performance by the big man. I was very happy to be stood where [I was],” Billings said.
“I feared for my life a couple of times but [it was] special, special from him.”
Russell was at his most destructive in the 12th over of the innings sent down by fellow Jamaica and West Indies teammate, Odean Smith, crunching 30 runs including four towering sixes. Smith, in his first Indian Premier League campaign, ended with one for 39 from two overs.
“He’s a quick guy. I was just backing myself, clearing my front leg and [keeping] the options open so I’m glad to have him down today. I’m one up on him so looking forward to the other one,” Russell said.
One of the most feared strikers of the ball in the league, Russell said Friday’s performance was hopefully only a taste of things to come.
“I’m looking to up that a notch. Past games I’ve had 14 sixes in a single innings so let’s see if I get that amount of time to bat as well,” he pointed out.
“I’m happy to close off the innings as well and getting eight sixes is definitely an achievement. Some games the entire team only gets six, seven, eight sixes so it’s good for me to get eight sixes and that’s what I practice in the nets so it’s good that I can come out on top tonight.”