Andre Russell in action (Image: IPLT20.com)
Former India keeper Parthiv Patel believes that Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) cannot solely rely on Andre Russell for fireworks with the bat while chasing a total. He made these remarks following the team’s 8-run loss to Gujarat Titans (GT) on Saturday.
Speaking on Cricbuzz, Patel mentioned that KKR are overly dependent on Andre Russell, which should not be the case, especially when they are chasing 157 runs. The swashbuckling West Indies batter slammed 48 runs off just 25 deliveries.
However, Russell didn’t get much support from the rest of the KKR batters and they ultimately lost the encounter.
Speaking on KKR’s performance, Parthiv Patel said:
“KKR cannot be dependent on Andre Russell all the time. It is going to be very difficult if you are depending on your number 7 to fire even when you are chasing such a total.”
Speaking on the same show, ex-India pacer RP Singh pointed out that KKR captain Shreyas Iyer has a tendency to shuffle across the leg stump against fast bowlers. He suggested that the right-hander should avoid doing that too much and look to score runs on all sides of the ground.
RP Singh explained:
“It shows that he hasn’t been reading the game well and is looking to score runs only in one area. It used to be difficult for me to bowl if a batter had his back foot on the off stump. However, it becomes easier when the batter is moving on the leg side.”
Iyer failed to make an impact with the bat in the contest against GT. The player edged one to the keeper off Yash Dayal’s bowling and was dismissed for 12 runs. KKR suffered their fifth loss of the season and are currently languishing in seventh place in the points table.
“Yash Dayal has a deceptive pace” – RP Singh on GT’s rookie pacer
RP Singh lauded Yash Dayal for his inspiring bowling performance against KKR. He highlighted how the left-armer bowled brilliantly against power-hitter Andre Russell.
Singh also stated that the 24-year-old has a deceptive pace and spoke about how the ball appeared to be hitting the bat faster than it appeared. Singh added:
“Yash Dayal has a deceptive pace. The ball hits the bat faster than it initially appears. The bouncer that he bowled to Russell was excellent. He may have not have played international cricket but he was backing himself and his pace.”
Parthiv Patel added that while he was watching the domestic season, Yash Dayal appeared to be the fastest bowler in the country. He disclosed that he had also watched Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) Umran Malik that season but he wasn’t bowling at his full pace in the domestic game. Patel stated:
“When I saw Yash Dayal during domestic matches, it appeared that he was the fastest bowler in India. I also saw Umran Malik but he bowls differently in domestic cricket and differently in the IPL.”
The talented youngster picked up the crucial wickets of Shreyas Iyer and Rinku Singh in the cash. He has featured in three matches so far in this year’s cash-rich league and has six wickets to his name.
