I'm So Hungry To Represent West Indies And To Smash Sixes: Andre Russell

Having taken the bowlers to the cleaners in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), West Indies star Andre Russell has now set his sights on the upcoming World Cup, beginning May 30 in England. The allrounder, who has played just one ODI since 2015 World Cup, was named in West Indies’ 15-man preliminary squad on the back of his red-hot form for Kolkata Knight Riders in the ongoing IPL.

Russell is in devastating form with the bat at the moment. He is Knight Riders’ highest run-scorer this season, having scored 406 runs in 11 outings. What is even more impressive that he has scored over 60% of his total runs this season in sixes. In just ten innings, he has hit a staggering 42 sixes. And Russell is now eyeing to replicate that form for West Indies in the World Cup. The hard-hitting batsman has missed  a lot of international games in the last couple of years or so and is desperate to make up for it.

“I’m so hungry to represent the West Indies and to smash sixes. I want to do what I’ve been doing here and score hundreds,” said Andre Russell.

Russell, who last played an ODI in July 2018, was named in the squad for the last two ODIs against England earlier this year. However, he failed to play a single game as injury once again kept him at the bench.

“I took two injections to better my knee but it flared up and I was so upset. I was watching the games against England and couldn’t do anything about it,” Russell said.

Russell’s inclusion might come as a surprise for many but the allrounder is definitely not one of them.

“I wasn’t surprised to be a part of the World Cup squad. I’ve been doing well. I’ve been back and forth with the selectors and coaches back home.

“I wasn’t really focusing on the World Cup. I was just focusing on KKR, making sure that I did my best here,” said the Jamaican.