Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) [India]: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-rounder Andre Russell overtook legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar in Indian Premier League (IPL) all-time run-scoring charts.
The 35-year-old accomplished this upward movement in charts during the IPL match against Delhi Capitals (DC) in Visakhapatnam.
During the game, Russell once again showed up with his vintage power-hitting, scoring 41 in just 19 balls. with four boundaries and three sixes. His strike rate was over 215.
In 115 matches, Russell has scored 2,367 runs in his IPL career at an average of 29.96, with 11 half-centuries and a strike rate of 176.11. His best score is 88*. He is the 44th-highest run-getter in IPL of all time.
In three matches this season, the all-rounder has made 105 runs at an average of 105.00, with a strike rate of over 238. His best score is 64*. The 2019 season was Russell’s best with the bat, scoring 510 runs in 14 innings at an average of 56.66 and a strike rate of over 204, with four half-centuries.
Sachin played 78 IPL matches for Mumbai Indians from 2008-13, scoring 2,334 runs at an average of 34.83, with a strike rate of over 119. He scored a century and 13 fifties in his career, with the best score of 100*. In 2010, he won the Orange Cap for most runs, scoring 618 runs in 15 matches at an average of 47.53 and a strike rate of over 132, with five fifties.
KKR elected to bat first after winning the toss. Openers Phil Salt (18 in 12 balls, with four boundaries) and Sunil Narine gave the team a fine start with an explosive 60-run partnership. Next, a 104-run partnership between Narine (85 in 39 balls, with seven fours and seven sixes) and an 18-year-old Angkrish Raghuvanshi (54 in 27 balls, with five fours and three sixes) took KKR to 164 in 12.3 overs.
Cameos from Andre Russell (41 in 19 balls, with four boundaries and three sixes) and Rinku Singh (26 in eight balls, with one four and three sixes) took the two-time champions to 272/7 in 20 overs.
Anrich Nortje (3/59) was the pick of the bowlers for DC, but leaked a lot of runs. Ishant Sharma (2/43) was also solid with the ball. Khaleel Ahmed and Mitchell Marsh took a wicket each.
In the run-chase, DC sunk to 33/4. A 93-run partnership between skipper Rishabh (55 in 25 balls, with four boundaries and five sixes) and Tristan Stubbs (54 in 32 balls, with four boundaries and four sixes) helped DC put up a brief fight and provide some entertainment to their fans, but they were skittled out for 166 in 17.2 overs.
Vaibhav Arora (3/27) and Varun Chakravarthy (3/33) were the pick of the bowlers for KKR. Mitchell Starc also picked up 2/25 in three overs. Andre Russell and Sunil Narine took a wicket each.
Narine won the ‘Player of the Match’ award for his fifty. KKR is at the top, having won all their three games and getting six points. DC is in the ninth spot with one win and three losses, giving them two points.
