Mumbai, May 5: West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell has admitted that he is badly missing the Indian Premier League (IPL) which have been suspended indefinitely due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Under normal circumstances, Russell would have been playing for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2020 but the Coronavirus pandemic has forced the postponement of the T20 league.
“It’s not a situation that anyone would want to be in. It is affecting the whole world, and it is affecting me, preventing me from hitting those sixes and do what I do best,” said Russell on Star Sports’ show ‘Cricket Connected’.
“I would have been in India right now enjoying the atmosphere and all the good vibes there, but we have to stay as safe as we can at the moment,” he added.
The swashbuckling all-rounder also confessed that he gets the ‘most goosebumps’ while playing cricket when he is playing in the IPL, even more than playing at home in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
“Let me confess something, IPL is where I get the most goosebumps. I get that in the CPL (Caribbean Premier League) as well, but when it comes to playing in the IPL, especially at Eden Gardens, there is no comparison to that crowd,” said Russell.
“When I walk out before facing a ball, the welcome I get is love, and yes it puts pressure on me. But it’s a good kind of pressure,” he added.
Russell made his IPL debut with then Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in 2012. However, limited chances and injuries restricted his number of games to a handful for the first two editions.
Before 2014 edition, Russell was roped in by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and now he is one of the biggest stars of the league.
In total, Russell has so far played 64 IPL matches in which he has scored 1,400 runs and picked 55 wickets. UNI
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