Since the beginning of the Indian Premier League, a number of power-hitters have competed in this tournament. The likes of Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, Brendon McCullum, Kevin Pietersen, Sanath Jayasuriya, Matthew Hayden, Kieron Pollard, and many other big names have featured in this tournament. But not many can bring the skillset, Andre Russell comes with. The big West Indian is among the hardest hitters of the cricket ball in the world.
Not just with the bat, he is a real asset with the ball as well. Russell has also won many matches with his bowling performance. He made his IPL debut in 2012 for the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) and played for two seasons. Then he joined the Kolkata Knight Riders and established himself as one of the top all-rounders in the tournament. In his IPL career, he has won numerous games and set many records. We will talk about some of his incredible records in this article below.
Records Held by Andre Russell in IPL
1. Best Batting Strike Rate in the IPL
It is very hard to top the charts in a tournament that consists of all the best players in the world. But if anyone can do that, it speaks volumes about the stature of the batter. That how Russell has approached this competition. He holds the record for the highest strike rate for a batter in the IPL. He has played 98 games and scored 2038 runs at an average of 30.37 and a staggering strike rate of 177.88, which is the most.
2. Most Runs at No. 7
Russell has batted in various positions and batting orders in his IPL career and has scored runs in almost every position. He holds the record for scoring most runs at No. 7. The No. 7 position is not considered a batting position, but Russell has scored the most runs in the IPL. He has played 21 innings at this position and scored 718 runs.
3. Best Bowling Figure against MI
Not just with the bat, Russell has delivered some match-winning performances with the ball as well. He has picked up 89 wickets in 98 games, and his best bowling figure of 5/15 against MI came in 2021, which is the best against MI. On the other hand, it is also the best bowling figure for KKR in the IPL’s history.
4. Best strike rates in an innings (Bowling)
The strike rate for a batter reflects how many runs he is scoring every 100 balls. Meanwhile, a bowler’s strike rate indicates after how many balls he is picking a wicket. And in the IPL, the best strike rate in an inning is registered under the name of Andre Russell. In the 2022 season, he bowled a one-over spell against the Gujarat Titans and picked up four wickets (4/5) at a strike rate of 1.5.
5. Best difference between Batting and Bowling Average
Batting average suggests the aggregate of runs a batter is scoring per inning, while bowling average indicates the runs a bowler is conceding to take a wicket. Thus, for a batter, the average should be higher, and for a bowler, the average should be lower. Meanwhile, Russell has the best average difference in the IPL at 5.89. He has played 98 games and scored 2035 runs at an average of 30.37. His batting average is better than that of Rohit Sharma, Sanju Samson, Robin Uthappa, Kieron Pollard, and Yuvraj Singh. On the other hand, he has picked up 89 wickets at a bowling average of 24.48, which is less than Ravi Ashwin, Sunil Narine, Harbhajan Singh, and Dale Steyn.