A stroll through one of IPL’s most unforgettable finishes as Andre Russell turned a mountain chase into a backyard sprint at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium
The Chinnaswamy buzzed with excitement, especially when Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers were in form. On April 5, 2019, Royal Challengers Bangaluru fans filled the stands, eager for a victory after five consecutive losses. With a solid 205 on the board, thanks to Kohli and AB's classic strokes, hope flickered anew.
However, Kolkata Knight Riders faced a challenging target of 206, a tall order on Bengaluru's fast outfield. Yet, in T20, surprises await, especially with Andre Russell stepping up to bat.
Put into bat, RCB started smoothly. Parthiv Patel and Virat Kohli laid the groundwork with a 64-run stand in 7.5 overs. Parthiv (25 off 24) played second fiddle while Kohli strode down the track, drove through the covers, and appeared a man possessed.
AB de Villiers joined Kohli, and the magic doubled. They stitched together a 108-run partnership off just 52 balls. De Villiers raced to his fifty off 28 balls, hammering 5 fours and 4 sixes, most of them through extra cover and down the ground. Kohli, always a master of placement and intensity, scored 84 off 49 before Kuldeep Yadav caught him off his own bowling.
Even Marcus Stoinis joined the late-innings party with 28 off 13, including six and two boundaries in the final over. RCB finished at 205/3, with 69 runs coming off the last five overs.
Chasing 206, KKR began briskly. Chris Lynn took on the pacers, smashing 43 off 31. Sunil Narine fell early, but Robin Uthappa (33 off 25) and Nitish Rana (37 off 23) kept the scoreboard ticking. However, the innings wobbled.
From 93-1 in 9.5 overs, KKR lost three wickets in 29 deliveries. By the end of the 17th over, Dinesh Karthik was back in the dugout, KKR was 153 for 5, and the equation read: 53 needed off 18 balls. The match was slipping. Or so it seemed.
Andre Russell had just one run from four balls. Then, he exploded.
Siraj, Stoinis, and Southee bore the brunt. Russell smacked 7 sixes and a four in a 13-ball 48*. He didn't just play shots; he detonated deliveries. Full toss? Gone. Slower ball? Into the crowd. Good length? Not good enough.
Southee, tasked with bowling the 19th, watched the ball sail over the ropes four times in five balls. By the end of it, Russell had taken KKR home with five balls to spare. That's right—he wrapped up the match in 19.1 overs, transforming a near-impossible chase into a masterclass of muscle and timing.
Kolkata Knight Riders chased down 206 in 19.1 overs, finishing at 206/5. Russell's 48* off 13 came at a strike rate of 369.23, marking one of the fastest and fiercest cameos in IPL history.
Virat Kohli's 84 off 49, AB de Villiers' 63 off 32, and even Marcus Stoinis' late cameo were all mere footnotes. That night belonged to Dre Russ, serving as a reminder that no target is safe when a West Indian hurricane has its eye on the trophy.
And for RCB? It was yet another night of what-ifs.
