I wouldn't mind going to bat at No. 4: Andre Russell

It was a case of so close yet so far for Andre Russell as he nearly powered Kolkata Knight Riders to yet another breathtaking win this season. But in the end, his heroics went in vain as Knight Riders fell short by just 10 runs while chasing an improbable 213 against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Eden Gardens. Batting first, the Royals piled up a mammoth 213 for 4 – their highest-ever total against the Knight Riders.

Virat Kohli starred with the bat, scoring exactly 100 to make sure his team post a big total. Moeen Ali also played his part to perfection and hammered 66 from just 28 balls to provide the impetus to Royal Challengers’ innings before Kohli exploded. The Royal Challengers’ bowlers then started well and put their side on top. In the 12th over, the Knight Riders were reeling at 79 for 4. The team needed an improbable 135 from just 49 deliveries when Russell walked out to bat.

In the end, the Knight Riders fell short by just 10 runs with the in-form Russell smacking 65 runs from just 25 deliveries. The knock was studded with as many as nine sixes. Following the game, the West Indies star just could not hide his frustration as he said he would not mind a promotion in the batting order. Despite being Knight Riders’ best batsman this season, Russell has just not got enough balls to make a larger impact and it looks like, the frustration is slowly creeping inside him.

“I believe that,” Andre Russell told reporters when asked if he should be batting higher up the order although he put a finger to his lip to hint he is not supposed to speak on it openly.

“Honestly, you have to sometimes be flexible as a team. When you look at the make-up of our team, I wouldn’t mind going to bat at No. 4. Because I believe that once I’m at the crease, Virat Kohli will bowl the best bowlers to get me out, and those best bowlers will, therefore, have less overs remaining in the back end,” he added.

Andre Russell disappointed

The allrounder also expressed his concerns over the way the Knight Riders are playing in the middle overs especially during the chases. He also said that he is disappointed over the fact that the Knight Riders will now have to play catch-up, having lost four games on the trot now.

“We need to learn that we can get 214. And to lose by 10 runs, well, we were just two hits away. In the middle period if we batted faster, we would definitely get the runs with even balls to spare. Well batted to Nitish, but this is something [of concern].

“We have to go and regroup again and have meetings about these things and discuss about what to do at the right time. One over can make a big difference in T20 cricket. So, I’m disappointed. Now we are under pressure and now we need to play catch-up cricket,” said Andre Russell.

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