Virat Kohli’s celebration triggered my innings against RCB last year, reveals Andre Russell

The 2019 Indian Premier League might have been won by Mumbai Indians but the true king of the season was Andre Russell. 510 runs and 11 wickets helped him win the Most Valuable Player award with his tally of 52 sixes was 18 clear of the next best Chris Gayle. One of the immortal innings of the season came against Royal Challengers Bangalore in which he finished unbeaten on 48 off 13. The crazy innings was the hinge point of a great season that he had and he revealed what triggered his reaction.

“Dinesh Karthik got one boundary or two then he got out. He hit the ball and I think Virat Kohli took the catch. Virat Kohli turned to Venky (KKR CEO) and where all the wives and KKR supporters were and he is like ‘come on’. When I looked up, like something triggered in my head like, hell no this is not over,” Russell said to KKR website, reported Cricket Times.

“When Shubman Gill walked out, I said hey listen I am gonna take down anybody that bowls. Anyone who comes on I am gonna take them down. So just try to give me as my strike as possible. He said, ‘anything you say big man’, Boom. Since then, the game, it was like six after six and every time I was hitting a six I was not even looking at the scoreboard because sometimes you get carried away with the crowd and everything.”

“Every time after hitting a six I would go to Shubman, punch the gloves with him and go back to take as much deep breath as possible, that allows you to become calm. Looking around is like a waste of energy,” Russell added.

At one point in the innings, he hit seven sixes within the space of nine balls as RCB crushed to a humiliating defeat from a position where there was only one result possible.