Need to be clear about your plan against Russell: Trent Boult
Ahead of Rajasthan Royals’ match against Kolkata Knight Riders at the iconic Eden Gardens on May 11, ace pacer Trent Boult has opened up about Andre Russell, who smashed 42 runs off 23 deliveries in KKR’s last match against Punjab Kings.
Even though the West Indies international hasn’t made the kind of impact he would have liked for KKR thus far in IPL 2023, he still remains to be a threat as the all-rounder can change the complexion of games at any time.
Speaking about their duel in the past, Trent stated that he has got the better of Russell a couple of times in the past but also reminded if one fails to execute the right line and length, then the 35-year-old can wreak havoc and completely take the game away from the opponent’s hands.
“Russell is one of the most destructive batters in T20 cricket. He has 600-plus sixes (603) in the format. He’s a guy you need to be extremely clear about your plan. I’ve managed to get him out a couple of times. But you got to be very, very precise with how you bowl to him. He is a big player for KKR, Rinku Singh obviously has helped him and become a good death overs player as well,” the Kiwi speedster said in the pre-match press conference.
No score is safe: Trent Boult
Notably, the Sanju Samson-led side has failed to defend 200+ scores twice in their last three matches. Overall, they have lost their last five out of six matches and thus, the team is under tremendous pressure at the moment. They are currently at number five in the IPL 2023 points table and cannot afford to drop any more points at the moment.
Meanwhile, speaking about their bowling, Boult stated that no score is really safe in the ongoing edition and also mentioned that this very well shows the quality of the Indian Premier League.
“It shows the standard of quality in the IPL at the moment. No score is safe. We have seen some incredible chases, 90 per cent of the games probably have come down to the last over. It’s just high quality. You’ve got to respect players, it’s been exciting cricket,” Boult added.
