Published 16:27 IST, December 11th 2019
Andre Russell reveals interesting reasons behind refusing Big Bash offer for playing BPL
Star all-rounder and T20 giant Andre Russell chose to play in the Bangladesh Premier League rather than playing in the Australian Big Bash League. Here is why.
West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell has established himself as a brute hitter of the ball whose strength knows no bounds. He outperformed himself in the 2019 IPL and has been on a roll ever since. But before 2019 ended, Russell made a surprising decision - he chose to play in the Bangladesh Premier League over the Big Bash League.
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Andre Russell loves Bangladesh
Talking to a leading Australian portal, Russell made his reasons clear. He explained how the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is a shorter and more fun tournament compared to the BBL. The lighter schedule allows 'Dre Russ' to spend more time in the Caribbean and that is the reason he chose the Bangladeshi tournament, which has now gone through an overhaul. Russell also credited the country's hospitality towards him and expressed his excitement for the league's future, now that it has new teams and coaches.
Russell will be captaining the Rajshahi Royals and this will be his second stint in captaining a T20 side. Russell captained the Jamaica Tallawahs in the 2019 Caribbean Premier League earlier. Talking about his responsibilities, Russell added how he was willing to learn from his new role and improve as a skipper. He also credited his team's strength and mentioned how he has been enlightening himself on the talented locals present in his team. Rajshahi Royals boasts the likes of Shoaib Malik, Ravi Bopara, and Hazratullah Zazai. The Rajshahi Royals begin their season against the Dhaka Platoon on December 12.
Russell has won the BPL with the Cumilla Victorians and the Dhaka Dynamites. He declined an offer from BBL's Melbourne Stars to play in the 2019-20 BPL. He has played in the Big Bash for the Melbourne Renegades and Sydney Thunder previously.
Updated 16:47 IST, December 11th 2019