IPL 2019, Match 6: Russell shines as Kolkata hands Punjab 28-run defeat

Hyderabad : Andre Russell’s second consecutive blistering knock helped Kolkata Knight Riders in beating the Kings XI Punjab by 28 runs in the sixth match of the Indian Premier League 2019.

He scored a brilliant 48 runs in just 17 balls; in the last match too he had scored 49 runs in just 19 balls. Not just with his bat, Russell scored with ball too, he took 2 wickets for 21 runs to help KKR restrict KXIP to 190 for 4 and emerge as the undisputed star of the match.

When on three, Russell was yorked by Mohammed Shami off the last delivery of the 17th over but to the horror of KXIP, the umpire signalled a no-ball as the visiting team was found to have one fielder short of the mandatory four inside the 30-yard circle. The 30-year-old Russell made full use of the reprieve as he hammered five sixes and three fours from the next 11 balls he faced to send the Eden Gardens crowd berserk. He was dismissed in the final over.

Kolkata Knight Riders added another 59 runs in 19 balls after the no-ball incident. A total of 17 sixes were hit during the KKR innings.

Put in to bat first, Kolkata scored a massive 218 for 4, which is also their highest score in the tournament till date. Punjab in return fell 28 runs short and lost the game.