Andre Russell might score a double hundred if he bats 60 balls: David Hussey
David Hussey, the mentor for the Kolkata Knight Riders, stated that the team’s think-tank is considering promoting talismanic all-rounder Andre Russell up the batting order to give him more time in the middle in the upcoming IPL.
KKR skipper Dinesh Karthik admitted at the end of the previous season that there were opportunities to promote Russell up the batting order, something that the franchise did not make the most of. Upon being asked on the same, Hussey replied, “If it benefits the team and helps us win games of cricket, why not? If he comes in at No. 3 and bats 60 balls, he might even score a double hundred. Anything can happen with Dre Russ. He is almost the heartbeat of the team.”
Andre Russell’s services went underutilized in the IPL last year
Hussey then went on to talk about the benefits that England captain Eoin Morgan brings to the KKR side. Stating that a central role lies in store for the England limited-overs captain, Hussey said, “He’s huge, isn’t he? Classy player, classy performer, Morgan’s going to be a great ally for Karthik.
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“He (Morgan) may be fielding in the ring talking to the bowlers while the captain is behind the stumps keeping wickets. He’s a cool, calm, and collected person and will also be a handy batman controlling the middle overs with Karthik. I expect a really good relationship between them, and his calm head can win us many games through the tournament.”
A decision is yet to be made on the team’s opening combination, said Hussey. Shubman Gill is a frontrunner to take up one spot, which was vacated by KKR’s decision to release Chris Lynn. Sunil Narine is likely to join Gill at the top given the possibility of the team’s opening with a spinner in UAE.
Tom Banton, too, can be considered as a lucrative alternative, given his performance with the bat in the opening slot in the T20Is against Pakistan. Either way, KKR are unlikely to take a conservative approach at the top, in-line with new coach Brendon McCullum’s philosophies.
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“It’s up for discussion at the moment, and the head coach, Abhishek Nayar and Karthik are yet to decide that,” said Hussey, “If anyone knows McCullum, he plays the game at 100 miles an hour and encourages his players to take the game on.
“With regards to Shubman Gill, he’s just one hell of a talent. Leave him alone, let him play, and you can see him score hundred after hundred in the IPL.”