When KKR's Andre Russell was in tears after hitting Bhuvneshwar Kumar for a six
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) CEO Venky Mysore recently revealed an interesting anecdote involving West Indian all-rounder Andre Russell and Indian speedster Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
In an exclusive interview with Indranil Basu on Sportskeeda Cricket's Facebook page, Mysore spoke about the impact the reactions of crowds have on the players, and cited an example from a game between KKR and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
When asked if Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020, which is scheduled to take place in the UAE without crowds, will be any different, he said -
"I think it's safe to say that it'll be very different. In the IPL, the players will experience no crowds for the first time. Last year, we were playing a game against Sunrisers and it was an impossible situation. One of the best death bowlers in Bhuvneshwar Kumar was bowling and he (Andre Russell) went in."
'I had goosebumps and tears in my eyes' - Andre Russell
Mysore continued the story, saying that Andre Russell played an incredible shot off Kumar's bowling, depositing the fast bowler for six over long-off.
"It was Andre Russell's day and he took him apart. There was one shot he played to a slowish ball outside off-stump. He could barely reach it but he hit it for six. I asked him after the game what that shot was."
The KKR CEO then revealed that the Caribbean all-rounder told him that the reaction of the crowd greatly moved him to the point of tears.
"He said, 'Man, I don't know. When I'm playing like that, the crowd gets me going. After I hit that shot, the way the crowd reacted, I had goosebumps and tears in my eyes'. This is the impact the crowd has on the players."
Mysore also labelled Andre Russell as the Michael Jordan of T20 cricket, and lavished praise on the variety of all-rounders at KKR's disposal.
The IPL is scheduled to take place in the UAE from September 19, and it is all but certain that the cash-rich tournament will not have fans in attendance. However, the world's most prestigious T20 franchise league is expected to put smiles on the faces of cricket fans across the world in these testing times.