Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) legend Andre Russell has opened up on the actual motive behind his choice to retire from the Indian Premier League (IPL), saying he most popular to exit whereas nonetheless feared by opposition bowlers relatively than proceed till followers felt he had overstayed his prime.
In an interview with Cricbuzz, the 37-year-old mentioned he wished his IPL legacy to reflect international icons who ended their careers on the prime. Russell defined that the perfect retirement second, for him, was when individuals nonetheless questioned “why now?” as an alternative of “why is he nonetheless enjoying?”
The West Indies powerhouse emphasised that he by no means wished to achieve a stage the place followers would say he ought to have retired “three or 4 years in the past.” Retiring now, he believes, protects the aura he constructed as one among T20 cricket’s most devastating all-rounders.
Andre Russell’s retirement impressed by Usain Bolt and AB de Villiers’ well timed exit
Russell mentioned his name was formed by the retirement timing of elite athletes like Usain Bolt and AB de Villiers, who stepped apart whereas nonetheless dominant. That method, he felt, ensured their legacies remained untarnished by decline.
“Take Usain Bolt, for instance, or AB de Villiers. When these guys hung up their boots whereas nonetheless on the prime of their sport, numerous followers have been asking, “why?” After I made this choice, I felt it was one of the best choice for me at this level. I don’t wish to fade out; I wish to go away a legacy behind. I consider it’s greatest to retire when individuals nonetheless say “why” relatively than reaching a stage the place they are saying, ‘okay, yeah, you need to have retired three or 4 years in the past,” mentioned Russell.
Russell additionally defined how his new job title at KKR – energy coach – was born.
He revealed that KKR CEO Venky Mysore pitched the thought, and the second he heard the designation, he knew it was the right extension of his on-field identification.
“To be trustworthy, after I heard that title coming from Mr Venky, I mentioned, hmm, that describes Dre Russ completely, that describes Andre Russell… as a result of relating to what I’ve been doing on the sector – the ability that I possess after I bat, the power that I present within the area with the ball in hand – I assumed, yeah, this title sounds good: POWER COACH,” he added.
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Russell’s IPL numbers defines his legacy
Throughout 140 IPL matches, Russell delivered statistics few all-rounders can match:
- 2,651 runs at a mean of 28.20
- A staggering 174.93 strike price
- 11 fifties, prime rating 88 not out
- 170 fours and 209 sixes
- 123 wickets, common 20.27, economic system 9.07
- Finest bowling: 4/20
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