IPL 2020 | Andre Russell looks like an MMA fighter with his muscles, insists Dinesh Karthik

Kolkata Knight Riders did not get off the best of starts in IPL 2020 as they were outplayed by defending champions Mumbai Indians. However, KKR as a team can never be ruled out simply because they have one of the most destructive T20 batsmen of world cricket - Andre Russell.

Given his stature, Andre Russell, who had a strike rate in excess of 180 in almost every game in the last two seasons of IPL, has an aura of his own when he comes out to bat giving nightmares to opposition bowlers. Delhi Capitals off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin pounced on the opportunity to ask Russell’s captain Dinesh Karthik about the strategy to get him out. 

“How do you bowl to him? His miss-hit is a six with 8m clearance, decent hit 15m and a whack is out of the ground. As a captain how can an opposition bowler bowl to him?” asked Ashwin to Karthik in Ashwin’s YouTube show called ‘Hello Dubaiahh’.

In reply Karthik, who has been leading Russell from IPL 2018, on a lighter note advised that the opposition team should pray to god before Russell comes out to bat.  

“First pray to God. Give him an offering. Pray that he’s in a bad mood, and then go for IPL. Then the day, the wicket, the conditions (matter),” Karthik said.

Karthik added that the mere sight of Russell walking into bat is ‘scary’ and he compared Russell’s mannerisms to that of a wrestler. The KKR captain, however, revealed that the dynamic West Indian all-rounder is scared of everything else apart from the cricket ball.

“Just watching him walk in is scary. He comes in like a wrestler. What a build up he gives while doing that. He’s a brilliant character. With his muscles and all, he looks like an MMA fighter,” Karthik added.

“But he’s scared of everything. He’s scared of driving cars, or even when the bus swerves, he gets scared. He said, he’ll never be on a rollercoaster. Never judge a book by its cover. The only thing he’s not scared of is the ball.”