IPL 2019: Is KKR's Andre Russell the best T20 all-rounder at present?

Andre Russell, the big man from the Caribbean, played one of the best T20 knocks on Sunday against the Sunrisers from Hyderabad at the Eden Gardens. The Kolkata Knight Riders needed 95 runs off 44 balls when Russell came into bat and they chased it with 2 balls to spare.

Cricketers normally have one primary skill - batting or bowling. The all-rounder though is expected to perform in both departments of the game, making him or her a captain’s delight. Dre Russ, as he is popularly known, is one of the scariest all-rounders and a genuine finisher in the shortest format.

With his comrades, Bravo and Pollard, not the same forces as before, Can Russell be considered as the best all-rounder in the shortest format at present?

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Russell plays the two most difficult roles in the shortest format — finishing in the batting department and bowling in the death overs. He has been exceptional for the T20 teams he plays for around the world. His finishing abilities are second to none. KKR needed 53 runs in the last 3 overs against the Hyderabad side and KKR chased it with 2 balls to spare. It is the most runs ever scored in the last 3 overs to win a game in the Indian Premier League.

In one of the games in the recently concluded Caribbean Premier League, Russell took a mind-boggling catch, a hattrick in the 20th over and later scored a 49 ball 121* against the Trinbago Knight Riders when his side was reeling in at 41 for 5 in a chase of 224. The innings was capped as one of the greatest all-around individual performances in T20 cricket.

Though Russell debuted for the West-Indies way back in 2010, he has really come into his own in the last few years. In T20Is in 2018, he averaged a massive 60 with the bat for his national side at a mammoth strike rate of 193.55. In bowling, he has bowled at a healthy strike rate of 21 and at a decent economy of 8 runs per over, considering the fact that he bowls predominantly in the end overs. Dre Russ is also the only bowler in T20s to snatch four wickets in four balls.

In conclusion, Andre Russell is one most dangerous all-rounders in the T20 format at present. He is the most valuable player for the Kolkata Knight Riders and is undoubtedly a top contender to win the “most valuable player” award in the 12th edition of the Indian Premier League.

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