XtraTime Web Desk: Kolkata Knight Riders all rounder Andre Russell on Friday said that his compatriot Chris Gayle had a huge influence on his career in helping him develop as one of the biggest power hitters the game has seen in recent times.
“Chris Gayle changed my life in terms of power hitting. I’ve learned a lot from him,” Russell said on BBC’s Doosra podcast. “I used to use lighter bats, but when you make contact with a light bat, it doesn’t go anywhere. During the World Cup, he came to me and said, ‘Russ, you’re better than that. You can use bigger bats, you’re strong.’
Russell is having a phenomenal strike rate (220.46) in the ongoing Indian Premier League. The Jamaican has also hit the most sixes (39) so far in the cash rich league. His fellow countrymen Gayle have hit 26 sixes in the IPL this season. Gayle, of course, is the pioneer of the T20 game: his 933 career sixes so far is over 300 more than anyone else has managed.
Russell also revealed that watching National Football League players in the United States gave him a unique perspective on power training. He ended up developing smart training methods after observing them in Dallas, and now has a personalised gym plan.
“I work out like NFL players. When I went to Dallas a few years ago, that kind of changed my life into seeing how professional athletes in different sport go about their game,” he said. “These guys train hard, high intensity. Even if they weren’t doing heavy weights, they were doing a lot of repetition. That’s what I use: I don’t need to get big and bulky. If I get bulky, I will bowl slow and my arm speed will get slow while batting. You need to smart about how you train,” signed off DreRuss.