Kolkata Knight Riders speedster Lockie Ferguson believes their hard-hitter Andre Russell will put on a show against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Friday in iconic Eden Gardens and reckoned that the West Indian all-rounder is very far from under-performing. The 34-year-old had a quiet couple of games for the two-time champions in IPL 2023.
Speaking ahead of their clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Lockie Ferguson said that Andre Russell had a good first game against Punjab Kings before being dismissed cheaply against Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Titans.
“I don’t think Andre is underperforming. He played well in the first game (35 vs Punjab Kings), but then he had a couple of early dismissals. I would say he’s far from underperforming,” Lockie Ferguson said.
The New Zealander pacer backed Andre Russell to come good against 2016 Champions Sunrisers Hyderabad in their second home and added that according to him, Russell is the hardest hitter of the cricket ball.
“We all know what Andre can do, particularly here that was my first season and first experience of Andre, and Jesus! I’ve not seen a guy hit a ball like that. I’m sure he will put us a show for us tomorrow night.
Russell has scored only 36 runs from the three games and is yet to bowl a single over for the Nitish Rana-led side in the ongoing season. The two-time champions have done well despite Andre Russell’s dip in form. KKR will look to maintain their winning momentum when they take on Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 14.
He Gets Around All The Players – Lockie Ferguson On Role Of Chandrakant Pandit
New Zealander pacer Lockie Ferguson expressed his gratitude to play under Indian domestic coaching legend Chandrakant Pandit as he keeps the team morale high despite the wins and losses in the league stage.
“It’s been a great experience with Chandru from the start. I love his honesty. He gets around all the players. He knows how the team’s morale is and how we are going to go about our business as a team,” Lockie Ferguson added.
Kolkata Knight Riders had a massive change in the coaching setup as they brought in Chandrakant Pandit as their head coach for IPL 2023 replacing Brendon McCullum.
“Probably from the outset, it’s just winning or losing but it’s about that consistency and trying to create a culture and a team value that has Chandru brought into the team from an early stage. It’s nice to have him lead from the front,” he said.
Pandit is known for his ability to inspire and motivate the cricketers are well known. Chandrakant Pandit a renowned coach in the Indian domestic circuit coached Vidarbha to back-to-back Ranji titles and last season Pandit guided Madhya Pradesh, against all odds, to triumph in the Ranji Trophy.