Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Andre Russell will be the cynosure of all eyes when he takes the field versus the Punjab Kings in match number 2 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season on Saturday. PBKS and KKR clash against each other in a high-voltage clash in Mohali.
Russell can surpass the 2000-run mark for KKR in the competition. He will become just the 3rd player from the franchise to score 2000-plus runs. Gautam Gambhir (3035) and Robin Uthappa (2439) are the only players with 2000-plus runs for the Knight Riders in IPL history.
Russell has scored 1977 runs for KKR at an average of 31.38. He has a strike rate of 179.07. Russell has smacked 10 fifties for KKR with the best score of 88*. Meanwhile, overall the former West Indian cricketer has 2035 runs in the IPL, having played 7 games for Delhi earlier.
Meanwhile, Russell, who has spanked 172 sixes for KKR, can also become the first player to get past 175 sixes. Versus PBKS, Russell has amassed 331 runs at 36.77 with the help of three fifties.
In the IPL 2022 season, Russell was KKR’s standout performer, scoring 335 runs and claiming 17 scalps.
Other records on offer in the PBKS vs KKR encounter
KKR and New Zealand pacer Lockie Ferguson has claimed 146 scalps in the 20-over format at an average of 23.81. Ferguson, who rejoined KKR from Gujarat, needs four scalps to reach a mark of 150. Ferguson, who has 43 scalps for the Kiwis, has also claimed 36 in the IPL.
Shikhar Dhawan, who will lead PBKS this year, has smashed 47 fifties and two centuries in the IPL. Dhawan is now one fifty or hundred away from registering a mark of fifty 50-plus scores in the IPL. He will join David Warner, who has slammed 54 fifties and four tons. Meanwhile, Dhawan is the second-highest scorer in IPL history, having accumulated 6244 at 35.07.
Dhawan is also in line to become the 3rd-highest scorer against KKR in the IPL. Currently, he owns 810 runs at an average of 28.92. Dhawan can surpass former CSK legend Suresh Raina (829) to become the 3rd-highest scorer. Only Rohit Sharma (1020) and Warner (1018) have more runs versus KKR in the IPL.