Andre Russell was going all guns blazing as Ishant Sharma stepped up to bowl the final over of the KKR innings at Visakhapatnam. Having reached 266 with one over to go, the presence of Dre Russ and Rinku Singh in the middle empowered the KKR dugout to believe that they were going to register the biggest IPL total ever. They needed 11 runs of Ishant's over to better the record set by Sunrisers Hyderabad earlier this season.
Andre Russell was on 41 from 18, while Rinku managed 26 from 7. Delhi Capitals looked hopeless as Russell prepared to take on Sharma. However, the experienced Indian seamer had other plans in mind.
Ishant produced arguably the ball of the tournament, an unplayable yorker, to rattle the big-hitting West Indies all-rounder's stumps. Missing the ball completely, an unsettled Andre Russell ended up collapsing alongside his fallen stumps.
As he got himself back up, Andre Russell took a moment to appreciate Ishant Sharma before walking back to the pavilion. He made a clapping gesture by bringing together the bat with his gloved other hand -- acknowledging the beauty of a delivery Sharma produced.
VIDEO: ISHANT SHARMA GETS ANDR RUSSELL
YORKED! 🎯
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 3, 2024
Ishant Sharma with a beaut of a delivery to dismiss the dangerous Russell!
Head to @JioCinema and @StarSportsIndia to watch the match LIVE#TATAIPL | #DCvKKR | @ImIshant pic.twitter.com/6TjrXjgA6R
A ball later Ishant Sharma also managed to send back Rinku Singh and ensured KKR didn't reach the historic feat against his team.
DC vs KKR: As it happened
Sunil Narine and young Angkrish Raghuvanshi struck scintillating half-centuries before Andre Russell and Rinku Singh joined in to power Kolkata Knight Riders to an imposing 272 for seven against Delhi Capitals in their Indian Premier League match on Wednesday.
Batting first at Visakhapatnam, Narine blasted 85 in a mere 39 balls while the 18-year-old Raghuvanshi smashed his way to 54 off 27 deliveries, as the DC bowlers ran for cover.
Andre Russell blazed away to 41 in just 19 balls while Rinku Singh made 26 in eight balls, continuing KKR's dominance through the innings.
Sunil Narine produced a six-hitting exhibition en route to a blistering 85 while young Angkrish Raghuvanshi scored a fifty on his IPL batting debut as Kolkata Knight Riders posted an imposing 272/7. Continuing his explosive run, Narine punished all Delhi bowlers alike, sending the ball over the boundary rope seven times. He also hit seven fours in his 39-ball stay.
The Capitals were guilty of dropping him on 53 and Narine made his opponents suffer as he notched his highest-ever score in T20 cricket. Raghuvanshi (54 off 27 balls), who didn't get to bat in his first IPL match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, also fired on all cylinders, complementing Narine as the pair shared an explosive 104-run stand off 48 balls.
DC seemed to make inroads by dismissing Narine and Raghuvanshi in consecutive overs but Russell had other plans. The DC bowlers were guilty of feeding the all-rounder with full tosses which he dispatched to the boundary with ease.
