Kolkata Knight Riders stormed into the final of the 2024 season of the Indian Premier League with their 8-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the first playoff game of the tournament.
The two-time title winners secured their place in the championship clash, slated to be held in Chennai on Sunday, as they await news on their opposition. The winner of the second qualifier game between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals will earn the right to take on KKR at Chepauk.
Kolkata went down to Chennai Super Kings during their previous visit to the MA Chidambaram Stadium earlier in the season, and star all-rounder Andre Russell said that the team was better off for having the experience of playing in the tricky wicket in Chennai.
“I think Chennai is a big ground, kind of a weird condition, you don’t know what to expect. The last time we played there against Chennai, the wicket looked good. I didn’t expect the wicket to play the way it did,” he said.
“It was on the slower side, but when you look at CSK’s bowling attack, they bowl well on that wicket. They use the wicket well, so I think it’s good to have that experience going into the finals,” the big-hitter added.
Russell further stated that it would be wise for his side to utilise cutters well and not be over-reliant on yorkers.
“We know how we need to bowl, utilise our cutters, and try not to go for yorkers and those sorts of things. It’s the type of pitch and ground where you can bowl into the wicket, even in the death overs,” the 36-year-old said.
He opined that the side has to be smart about the manner in which they approach the game and not be too predictable.
“We have to go about it as smartly as possible, taking it one game at a time,” Russell continued.
“I think when the time comes, we’ve been adjusting well as a bowling unit. If the wicket is a bit slow, we can use power cutters but not be too predictable,” he asserted.
“I’m here to help the youngsters as well. These guys are interested in learning, and that’s the best thing,” added Russell.
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