English wicketkeeper-batter Sam Billings has described the feeling of batting alongside West Indian swashbuckler Andre Russell as 'scary'. Russell is one of the most explosive batsmen going around in T20 cricket and has already made his presence felt in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season.
The right-handed batsman smoked a breathtaking 70 not-out from just 31 deliveries against the Punjab Kings earlier in the tournament. The innings was studded with two fours and eight gigantic sixes.
Speaking to TOI, Billings, who has been a regular feature in the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) unit this season, hailed Russell for his game-changing ability with the bat, adding that he is one player who every team would want on their side.
"Scary. He (Andre Russell) is phenomenal and one of the best in the world. He has incredible power. He is one of those players who, when on song, can turn the game on its head and take away the pressure from the team.
"There will be times when he will bat, and there will be other times when other guys would need to bat around him as well. He is proactive and aggressive. What a player to have in your team. He is just amazing," he added.
KKR has a power-packed middle-order, including the Australian Test captain and champion seamer, Pat Cummins. Cummins hammered the joint-fastest 50 (off just 14 deliveries) in the history of the IPL in his first outing of the season against the Mumbai Indians.
He eventually stayed unbeaten at 56 off just 15 deliveries as KKR thumped MI with disdain. Describing the knock 'amazing', Billings hailed Cummins' onslaught as one of the best knocks he has ever seen.
"Phenomenal. He became Andre Russell, didn't he? (laughs). Cummins' knock was one of the best knocks I have ever seen. It was just incredible striking. He is an all-rounder. He bowls really well. He bowls at 90 miles per hour and swings the ball both ways. But he is definitely an all-rounder," he said.
As for Billings, he is yet to light up the IPL with his bat. In 5 games, he has managed just 95 runs at a strike rate of 117.28, and the Kent cricketer will look to make amends for it with a big knock in the forthcoming games.