IPL 2022: "Andre Russell’s one of those guys" - Tim Southee hails 'special player' Andre Russell following his performance vs SRH

Heaping praise on Andre Russell, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) seamer Tim Southee believes the all-rounder has the potential to do special things consistently. The Kiwi new-ball bowler said that the partnership between Russell and Sam Billings was key to KKR's victory over SunRisers Hyderabad on Saturday.

Russell earned the 'Player of the Match' award for his all-round efforts in the Knight Riders' 54-run win. The Jamaican slammed an unbeaten 49 off 28 deliveries, including a game-changing 20 runs off the final over of the innings. He also took three wickets to restrict the opposition to 123.

At the post-match press conference, Southee said that Russell has been excellent across departments for a while. The veteran said that Sunday's game was a testament to Russell's special abilities:

"He has been tremendous throughout the whole tournament and has been good for such a long period of time not only with the bat but with the ball as well. There are a few guys around the world that can do special things, and Andre Russell’s one of those guys. He thrives on those moments, and more times than not, he turns in a performance that the team needs," the 32-year old stated, as mentioned in kkr.in.

With 17 wickets in 13 games, Russell is the highest wicket-taker for the Knight Riders in the ongoing edition of the IPL. With 330 runs, he's the IPL team's second-most prolific batter this year, behind captain Shreyas Iyer (351).

To see list of IPL winner, click here.

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"Their partnership was crucial" - Tim Southee

Tim Southee celebrates Rahul Tripathi's wicket. (Credits: Twitter)

Southee, who snared a couple of scalps in his four overs, highlighted that the 63-run partnership between Russell and Billings was key. The 33-year old said that 177 was above par on a tricky wicket to bat on, adding:

"Their partnership was crucial. We were off to a pretty good start, but then we lost a few wickets, but that partnership we needed to have. Two experienced guys coming together who grabbed the game for us and got us to a very competitive total, probably one that was over-par. We played here a couple of days ago, so we knew the wicket was going to be the same and be tougher in the second innings."

With the win, the two-time champions have kept their playoff hopes alive. They will face Lucknow Super Giants in their final league game on Wednesday.