Andre Russell reveals when his eyes were filled with water in gratitude for KKR

In 2017, Russell was given a year-long ban for violation of doping code and he had to sit out for the 10th edition of the tournament held that year.

Kolkata Knight Riders’ ship (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 might be sinking with four consecutive losses but their fierce performer Andre Russell is in no mood to give up. On Friday, the Jamaican batting all-rounder almost pulled off an unbelievable win against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the Eden Gardens after coming out to bat when his team required 125 runs off just 49 balls. He belted 65 off 25 balls next to take the KKR within a striking distance of a win, almost replicating his feat against Virat Kohli’s side in the first game in Bengaluru.

The 30-year-old has been the sensation of this season, scoring 377 runs in nine matches at an average of over 74 and strike rate of 220 plus, making this his most productive season since his debut in 2012. It has been all the more fulfilling for the Caribbean since he served a ban a couple of seasons back but still had the character to hit back.

Russell reflected back on his hard times recently on BBC’s ‘Doosra’ podcast where he revealed how the KKR management stood by him when he needed it the most and owed all his success to the purple outfit.

KKR retained Russell despite him facing ban

In 2017, Russell was given a year-long ban for violation of doping code and he had to sit out for the 10th edition of the tournament held that year. Not many had expected the KKR to retain the man in the next auction because of the trouble but the franchise went ahead to retain only two players before the auction and Russell was one of them. This gesture made the cricketer emotional and he has been paying it back in his capacity over the next two years.

“When I got banned in 2017, I was depressed. I do not cry easily, but to see Venky Mysore [KKR CEO] take up the phone and say they were going to retain me through that time, water filled my eyes. They know me, that’s the thing about family. I owe these performances to them,” Russell was quoted as saying.

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