There is no outfield big enough for Andre Russell when he's smashing the ball: Brian Lara

Brian Lara, legendary West Indies batter lavished praise on ace all-rounder Andre Russell, remarking no outfield is big enough for him. His comments came after Russell's impressive performance for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at Eden Gardens on March 23.

After being asked to bat first, KKR batters struggled despite opener Phil Salt scoring a crucial half-century. However, Russell, who bats at No. 8, right after Salt’s dismissal, played a massive 25-ball 64* knock, including three boundaries and seven maximums, and allowed KKR to set a mammoth 209-run target. He set a new record becoming the only batter to smash 200 sixes for the Kolkata-based franchise and the third Windies cricketer to reach this milestone in the tournament's history.

Lara, who was speaking to Star Sports was taken aback by Russell's performance, calling his knock crazy. The 54-year-old also underlined the ability of the all-rounder when he bats.

“It was crazy. Andre Russell, we know what he's capable of. Russell at the end, played a terrific innings, there is no outfield big enough for Andre Russell when he's smashing the ball,” said Lara.

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Andre Russell, Harshit Rana star as KKR beat SRH by 4 runs

Kolkata Knight Riders posted 208 runs, thanks to half-centuries from Phil Salt and Andre Russell. Before smashing a half-century, Russell also forged a quick-fire 81-run partnership with fellow batter Rinku Singh. T Natarajan was the pick of bowlers for SRH, who finished with excellent figures of 3/32. Mayank Markande claimed two wickets while captain Pat Cummins made one scalp.

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SRH got off to a solid start during the chase, with Mayank Agarwal and Impact Player Abhishek Sharma forming a 60-run opening partnership. However, Harshit Rana and Russell struck and reduced the visitors to 71 for two. Heinrich Klaasen (63) and Shahbaz Ahmed (16) then led SRH's charge, forming a 58-run stand in just 16 balls. However, in the final over, when SRH needed 13 to win, Klaasen smashed a six off its first delivery, but unfortunately, Harshit Rana removed the duo as KKR ended up winning the game by four runs. Russell picked up two wickets in the second innings and eventually won the Player of the Match award, courtesy of his all-round performance.