"He's far from underperforming" - KKR pacer Lockie Ferguson defends misfiring Andre Russell
Kolkata Knight Riders paceman Lockie Ferguson has no doubt Andre Russell will light up IPL 2023 moving forward. The New Zealand cricketer also observed that the Jamaican is one of the hardest hitters of the cricket ball.
Russell has been a mainstay for KKR since joining the franchise in 2014. However, the veteran all-rounder is yet to deliver an impactful performance so far for the franchise in IPL 2023, managing only 36 runs in three games and is yet to bowl in the tournament.
53 off 18 needed🤯
Andre Russell chased it with ease when KKR played against SRH at Eden Garden last time 💉
https://t.co/uV0KmI2OYP
Speaking ahead of their encounter against SunRisers Hyderabad on Friday, Ferguson said Russell is not underperforming and is aware what a game-changer like him can do on his day. As quoted by the Times of India, the 31-year-old stated:
"I don't think Andre is underperforming. He played well in the first game, then he had a couple of early dismissals. I would say he's far from underperforming. We all know what Andre can do, particularly here, that was my first season and first experience of Andre, and Jesus! I've not seen a guy hit the ball like that. I'm sure he'll put a show for us tomorrow night."
The 33-year-old Caribbean all-rounder is also one of the two players in IPL history to win the Player of the Tournament twice.
"Been a great experience with Chandru" - Lockie Ferguson on KKR head coach
Ferguson went on to underline Chandrakant Pandit's impact, stating how he operates according to the team's morale. The tearaway bowler added:
"It's been a great experience with Chandru right from the start. I love his honesty. He gets all around the players. He knows how the team's morale is and how we are going to go about our business. Probably from the outset it's just win or loss but it's about that consistency and try to create that culture and team value that Chandru has brought into the team from an early stage."
Anticipation Confidence ⬆️ Anticipation ⬆️ Matchday Fever ⬆️
Onto a Friday Night Blockbuster! 📽️🍿
#KKRvSRH | #AmiKKR | #TATAIPL 2023 https://t.co/ZROAf919CO
The Knight Riders are coming off an unforgettable win against the Gujarat Titans after Rinku Singh's final-over onslaught.