Kolkata Knight Riders' Andre Russell showcased a blistering batting performance against the Rajasthan Royals. Russell smashed a half-century off just 22 balls and scored 57 runs in 25 balls, turning the match in his team's favor. His explosive innings included 4 fours and 6 sixes.
Sports News: In IPL 2025, Andre Russell played a historic innings against the Rajasthan Royals, not only demonstrating his explosive batting prowess but also setting a new record. Playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Russell blazed a half-century off 22 balls, propelling his team towards a massive score. This spectacular performance earned him a feat difficult even for top Bollywood cricketers to achieve.
Russell's Explosive Half-Century
In the match against Rajasthan Royals, Andre Russell achieved a half-century in just 22 balls, a testament to his explosive batting style. He hit three consecutive sixes in Mahesh Theekshana's over, accelerating the run rate, and remained unbeaten on 57 runs for the innings. His innings included 4 fours and 6 sixes, once again proving how effortlessly he scores runs when at the crease.
1000 Runs Milestone at Kolkata's Eden Gardens
This match also saw Russell complete 1000 IPL runs at Kolkata's Eden Gardens. He became the first overseas batsman to achieve this milestone at the ground, marking a significant achievement in his career. Following Russell, Sunil Narine is second on this list with 672 runs. This accomplishment further highlights Russell's long and successful IPL career.
Slow Start, Grand Finish for Russell
Russell's innings began slowly. Coming to bat in the 13th over, he initially failed to score off the first 5 balls. He then managed only 2 runs from the next 9 balls. However, once he understood the pitch, he launched an assault, scoring 55 runs from his last 16 balls. After hitting his first four against Akash Madhwal in the 16th over, Russell unleashed a barrage of sixes, pushing the team's score beyond 200.
Besides Andre Russell, other Kolkata Knight Riders batsmen also performed well. Ankush Raghuvanshi scored 44 runs off 31 balls, while wicketkeeper-batsman Rahmanullah Gurbaz contributed 35 runs. Captain Ajinkya Rahane also scored 30 runs, helping the team reach a total of 206. The last 5 overs yielded 85 runs, with Russell and Rinku Singh playing explosive innings; Rinku scored 19 runs off 6 balls, including two sixes and a four.
Russell's IPL Career
Andre Russell has scored a total of 2583 runs in 138 IPL matches, including 11 half-centuries. He is also a formidable bowler, having taken 123 wickets. Russell has featured in every IPL season and consistently contributed significantly to the Kolkata Knight Riders.
