‘Russell’s the best’

Kolkata Knight Riders head coach Brendon McCullum and assistant coach David Hussey have heaped praise on his star man Andre Russell.

“When Dre comes off, he wins games. When he’s on, he’s the very best in the world at what he does and we hope to see a little bit more of it,” McCullum said during an interview with ESPNCricinfo.

The 33-year-old Jamaican so far has 106 runs in three matches in the ongoing Indian Premier League including a match-winning 70 not out off just 31 balls in their second match against the Punjab Kings.

In typical Russell fashion, that blistering knock included just two fours and eight towering sixes.

“He’s got a heavy bat and he swings it. Once the ball is in his area, he connects and it just keeps sailing over the boundary. He does work extremely hard in the nets and he practices all his skills,” said KKR assistant coach and former Australia batsman David Hussey.

“The best thing about Dre is that no matter what the situation is in the game, we’re 10-5 or 150-2, he’s going to play the same way and his whole goal is to entertain. Once he hits the ball it generally stays hit,” Hussey added.

Russel’s Kolkata Knight Riders are currently top of the table with three wins in four matches and will next take the field against the Delhi Capitals on April 10. (SportsMax)