Andre Russell has been an inspiration to me, we have a similar role: Odean Smith

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 is just in its first week and fans have already witnessed some exciting contests between the bat and the ball. While veterans like Faf du Plessis and Mohammed Shami have lived up to the expectations, some new faces have also made a mark. Odean Smith belongs to the latter category. The West Indies all-rounder played a fiery cameo on his IPL debut as Punjab Kings chased down 206 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Coming in to bat at number seven, the dasher slammed 25 off just eight deliveries as PBKS crossed the line with an over to spare. Notably, Odean can also set the speed gun on fire, and hence, his all-around abilities make him a great asset in this format of the game. Meanwhile, the 25-year-old all-rounder idolizes fellow West Indies teammate Andre Russell, who also possesses a similar skill set.

“I think Andre Russell is one of those I have looked up to. We have a similar role to play in most T20 games and in terms of bowling fast and then hitting a few boundaries at the back end of the innings. He has been an inspiration to me. I think he will always be that inspiration to drive me to go forward,” Odean told NDTV.

I have a lot of work to do: Odean Smith

With Odean putting up such a stellar show on his IPL debut, he’s set to be a regular face in the team’s line-up. However, the youngster won’t get carried away with his brilliance against RCB as he reckons there’s still a lot of work to do.’

“I helped my team to register a victory against the RCB but I am not going to say that this performance will hold me in good stead in the entire competition. I have a lot of work to do and as a team, we have the stuff to do. I just went out there and I knew what I had to do and that was to get the bat onto the ball. That is exactly what I did out there,” stated the all-rounder.