West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell disclosed that he had dreamt of being named the 'Player of the Match' in the inaugural T20I series game against England. Russell received the POTM award for his outstanding performance with both bat and ball, leading West Indies to a four-wicket victory over England at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.
Russell, along with Alzarri Joseph, claimed three wickets each to dismiss England for 171 runs in 19.3 overs during the first innings. In the second innings, Russell played a crucial role with a quick 14-ball 29, collaborating with skipper Rovman Powell, who contributed 31 runs off 15 deliveries. Their partnership secured a comfortable four-wicket win for West Indies in the initial T20I of the five-match series. Notably, the West Indies achieved the highest successful men's T20I chase at Kensington Oval in Barbados.
In his post-match comments, Russell shared that he had envisioned being named the POTM on his return. During the game in Barbados, he took three wickets, conceding only 19 runs, and made a significant impact with the bat by hitting two fours and an equal number of sixes, scoring 29 crucial runs at a striking rate of 207.14.
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"Life is so funny Bish (Ian Bishop). When I got selected for the West Indies team, I kept dreaming for 2 weeks, since I got the call-up. I was dreaming that I would be the Man of the Match in the first game. I didn't know how it would happen, but I kept believing. And it has happened tonight," said Russell.
He mentioned that Powell provided crucial support in the middle, emphasising their confidence to see through the match if they stayed at the crease. The duo, with an unbroken partnership of 49 runs, successfully secured the victory for West Indies.
"With Rovman Powell, it's always a good feeling to bat on. He supports you all the way and being a captain, he himself contributes a lot, with a few of the big hits. It was all about batting in pairs; we both have power, and we knew we could finish off the game if we batted deep," Russell added.
After securing victory in Barbados, West Indies will prepare to face England in the second match of the series at the National Cricket Stadium in Grenada on December 14.
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