IPL 2020: 'I don't like Andre Russell going in any earlier than with 8 overs to go' - Brad Hogg
Former Australian spinner Brad Hogg has opined that Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) should not be sending Andre Russell in to bat before the 12th over of the innings in IPL 2020. He also chose Kuldeep Yadav and Suryakumar Yadav as the players who are likely to shine in the upcoming edition of the IPL.
Brad Hogg made these observations while responding to fan questions related to the IPL in a video shared on his YouTube channel.
On being asked if Andre Russell should be promoted to No. 3 for KKR in IPL 2020, Brad Hogg responded that it should only be the case if the openers stitch together a long partnership. He doesn't want the Jamaican to go in to bat with more than 8 overs remaining in the innings.
"Only if the two openers have done their job and they have got through the first 12 overs. I don't like Andre Russell going in any earlier than with 8 overs to go. He is the weapon at the final stages of the innings. He can clear the fence when there are five men on the boundary."
The former KKR player reasoned that Andre Russell could be best utilised in the death overs in the upcoming IPL. He cited the West Indian's ability to clear the boundary, with the other top-order batsmen relying more on timing and placement to score their runs.
"He is probably the biggest hitter in the game, so why waste him if you lose an early wicket in the powerplay when the other batsmen need a little bit of finesse and timing to pierce the infield rather than going over the top. So, I don't think we will see much of him at No.3."
Brad Hogg on the players to watch out for in IPL 2020
Brad Hogg chose Kuldeep Yadav when asked to pick a player to watch out for in IPL 2020. He mentioned that the KKR left-arm wrist-spinner has worked hard on his game after having had a poor season in IPL 2019.
"I think Kuldeep Yadav, he got only 4 wickets last year at an average of 70. He went at 8.33 runs per over for the tournament and he will be disappointed with that. He has worked hard in the off-season mentally, physically and working on his skills. He will be back and he will be a force to be reckoned with in this IPL."
The former KKR player also picked Suryakumar Yadav as the batsman to watch out for in IPL 2020.
"And Suryakumar Yadav from the Mumbai Indians. Yes the Mumbai Indians have got a lot of depth, but this particular batsman is going to have a standout year and he is going to be a headache for opposition teams."
Brad Hogg signed off by stating that he could have gone for some of the established stars like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant or MS Dhoni, but wanted to pick a couple of youngsters who could earn a name for themselves.
"I could have gone with Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, MS Dhoni - all the big names but it is not all about them. You have got to have a look at the youngsters who are coming through or are not so big names."
Suryakumar Yadav has been a consistent performer for the Mumbai Indians over the last two seasons of the IPL. The Mumbaikar scored 936 runs in this period at a healthy average of 34.67, including 6 half-centuries.