IPL 2019: Andre Russell believes he should have batted at No.4 against RCB
What's the story?
Jamaican all-rounder Andre Russell believes that the outcome of yesterday's close encounter might have been different if he had batted up the order.
In case you don't know...
KKR lost by only 10 runs in a close encounter against the Virat Kohli-led RCB. KKR were 79/4 in the 12th over chasing a mammoth target of 214 runs, but the partnership of Russell and youngster Nitish Rana brought the game very close.
The heart of the matter
Virat Kohli's masterclass and Moeen Ali's impactful innings helped RCB put up a huge total of 213 runs on the board.
Chasing a huge score of 214, KKR didn't get a good start and were 60/3 after first 10 overs. KKR fell 10 runs short, despite wonderful batting by Rana and Russell.
In the post match press conference, Andre Russell said,
"I believe that (I should bat higher up the order). Honestly, you have to sometimes be flexible as a team. When you look at the make-up of our team, I don't mind going to bat at No. 4."
"When 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," Russell pointed out.
He further spoke, "So even if I score 60 off 25 balls and give the team the early pump, then the type of bowlers like Dale Steyn will have only one over to bowl at the death, or they may bowl out. So I think me going to bat early would definitely be good for KKR, but with our make-up as a team... yeah, that's a good answer."
What's next?
KKR have lost their fourth game consecutively after a good start. They are at the sixth position on the points table with 8 points. The Knight Riders will play 5 games from now on, and have to win 4 games to qualify for the playoffs.