Andre Russell rates 'this knock' as his best moment
What's the story
West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell has named his innings in the Mumbai semi-final of the 2016 T20 World Cup as his best moment. The match saw West Indies chase down a target of 193 against hosts India, with Russell playing a key role in the victory. He walked in at No. 5 and scored an unbeaten 43 off just 20 balls, hitting Virat Kohli over midwicket to seal victory with two balls remaining.
Match pressure
'The wicket was a very good wicket'
Russell said that despite the pressure, he had confidence in his team and their ability to chase down the target versus India. "Chasing 190-plus in that semi-final in India, with the crowd supporting India only, that was already a bit of pressure," Russell said in a Cricket West Indies (CWI) interview. "But the wicket was a very good wicket, so the confidence that we had in the changing room and the batters that were left to come, it gave me the freedom and the confidence to go out and play the role that I did."
Moments
'Two World Cups, it's just a different emotion'
West Indies went on to beat England at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata to lift the T20 World Cup for the second time in four years. Notably, Russell was part of both those triumphs. "Obviously, two World Cups, it's just a different emotion," he said. "You sleep, you wake up [on the morning after the final], and you realise you've only been sleeping for two hours, but you feel well-rested because you just want to see what's going on on the internet, you want to see all of those memories and all of those good comments."
Retirement plans
Russel opens up on ending international career at home
Russell will retire from international cricket after the first two T20Is against Australia on July 20 and 22, both at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica. He said he feels good about ending his career at home. "It's a pretty good feeling," Russell said about signing off at his home ground. "I think it's the perfect ground and the perfect series - against a good team as well, Australia - to end my international career."
Farewell series
'Getting emotional seeing posts about my retirement'
Russell's farewell series will be against Australia, a team he considers a good opponent to end his international career. He said that the decision to retire has been made and he feels content with his contributions to international cricket. "By just seeing the [social media] posts and seeing stuff going around on the internet, I get a bit emotional, to be honest," Russell said. However, he added that "decision already made" and he's done enough in his career to say goodbye to international cricket.