Remember that night in 2018, when KKR narrowly missed out on an IPL final berth after being knocked out by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2nd qualifier at Eden Gardens? We all do.
KKR lost the match by just 13 runs and a heartbroken Andre Russell ended up doing something he says he's happy nobody saw him do, because it was 'embarassing' and would have made them think 'has this guy lost his mind'?
"You guys bring back serious memories (with that question)," Russell said in a chat with kkr.in, when asked about the emotions he experienced that night.
Chasing 175 to book a contest vs CSK in the final, KKR was well poised at 93/2 at the half way mark of the chase. However, things started getting tricky soon after Chris Lynn and Dinesh Karthik got out in quick succession. Russell walked in when KKR needed 57 runs off 33 balls. However, his stay was short-spanned as he got out for just 3 runs (off 7 balls), leaving the chase at the mercy of the lower order.
"When I got out to Rashid Khan, I got back inside and went into shower with my cricket clothes on," Russell recalled a never-heard-before anecdote from the night. "My shoes and everything was wet. I was just there with the water running all over me because (the loss meant) it was basically the last game (of the season)."
Russell had got out to a half-shot off the fourth delivery of Rashid's final over that night. The wily Afghan slipped in a googly that pitched on length outside off, picking up a thick outside edge off Russell's bat before landing safely in Shikhar Dhawan's hands at first slip.
"I didn't get out being Dre Russ," Russell said in hidsight. "I started to overthink the game. That was actually a ball I could have put away, and that's the moment where I knew I had messed up. If I was still batting at the back end, we would have won comfortably."
The memories still torment the Big Man for letting the situation get the better of him. "I was just disappointed with myself. That's why I went into the shower with everything wet. I was happy that no one saw me that way because it was embarrassing. People would have been like - 'Are you losing it?' I realised (from that incident that) if a bowler feels you are scared to lift your bat, they are gonna be all over you. You have to back off a bowler by playing shots sometimes."
Watch the full KKR films Episode - Russell: The Knight of Eden here:
