After a clinical performance in the opening encounter of the Indian Premier League 2021, the Knights, stepped onto the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, riding high on confidence. After electing to field first, Andre Russell, in his 350th game across T20s, dismantled the Mumbai Indians batting unit by picking up his maiden five-wicket haul (5/15) in two overs.
The defending champions were in a comfortable position at 125 for the loss of five wickets before the all-rounder wreaked havoc in 12 deliveries to bundle out the opposition for 152 runs.
The 33-year old picked up the vital wicket of Kieron Pollard off his second ball with a well-executed yorker to tilt the match in favour of the Knights. Consistently bowling the yorkers and occasional short pitch deliveries, Russell showcased immense control on his variations en route to his maiden five-wicket haul.
In the two overs, he bowled six dot deliveries and picked up the wicket of Rahul Chahar to reach this remarkable feat. His figures of five for 15 were the best figures registered by a KKR player ever since the inception of the league.
Watch Russell's fifer:
Video hosted on BCCI / www.iplt20.com website
In the run chase, Nitish Rana produced yet another sublime performance by notching up his consecutive half-century.
The southpaw's 57 off 47 deliveries laid the foundation in the second innings, and he received the Orange cap for being the leading run-scorer in the competition. Despite his heroics, the Knights fell agonisingly short by 10 runs.
