Indian Premier League 2021
IPL 2021: KKR vs MI Play of the Day – Andre Russell's lethal final over
The all-rounder picked up three wickets in the final over to hurt MI.
Kolkata Knight Riders All-Rounder Andre Russell [Credits: Wisden]
Andre Russell had an average IPL 2020 in UAE. The West Indies hard-hitter scored just 175 runs last season in the league and managed to pick up just six wickets.
In the two matches he has played in IPL 2021, Dre Russ has already taken six wickets so far. Three of those wickets arrived in a single over, the final over bowled by Russell against Mumbai Indians to deny them any opportunity of a late blast.
In the first couple of deliveries in the over, Krunal Pandya took Andre Russell to the cleaners with consecutive boundaries. The first one slugged between long-on and deep midwicket while the second one went past the short third.
As Mumbai Indians started to look like they'd be able to finish on a high, Dre Russ proved them otherwise. He kept the third delivery of the over slow and short and directed at the leg stump. Krunal tried to get inside the ball and pull it but the change of pace completely deceived him and he ended up finding the hands of Prasidh Krishna standing at short fine.
Arriving to bat at number 10, Jasprit Bumrah tried to go route one on the very first ball. Dre Russ kept it short and slow once again and Bumrah ended up making the same mistake that Pandya did a ball earlier. He brought out the pull shot and ended up being caught at mid-wicket.
Andre Russell was now on a hattrick. In front of him was young Rahul Chahar.
For the hattrick delivery, the all-rounder went ahead with the same balls that got him the desired results in the last two instances. He kept it slow and short and Chahar went for the pull once again, only for the ball to land safely between two fielders.
Ahead of the final ball of the innings, Rahul Chahar tried shifting to the left in order to get underneath the deliveries Russell had been bowling targeting the leg stump line. This time, Dre Russ bowled a length delivery towards mid-stump. Chahar swung his bat and could only get as far as long-on.
Andre Russell had become the first bowler in IPL history to take a fifer in just two overs. Dre Russ has surprised us time and again with his heroics with the blade. This time, however, he had the last laugh with the ball.
