‘Paise ka chakkar babu bhaiya’- Twitter reacts after Andre Russell says ‘KKR has done things for me which even my country hasn’t done’

West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell has expressed his gratitude towards Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for taking the initiative to treat his knees. Russell has been part of the KKR team since the 2014 season and was a crucial member of their 2014 title-winning squad. He had played a few games for Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals) before joining KKR.

In recent years, Russell has also been part of other Knight Riders franchises, such as Trinbago Knight Riders and Abu Dhabi in the Caribbean Premier League and International League T20, respectively. While his performances in these franchises have not been up to the mark, he still remains grateful to KKR for their support.

“Where I was, a few years ago, KKR actually make things happen for me where they send me to get proper treatments on my knees. That’s something special to me to be honest. No other franchise or even my country never really invest that much on me,” Russell said in a conversation with Star Sports.

He further added, “I’m happy here. I don’t see any other franchise I would love to be a part of in this tournament because I’ve been here for about 9 years now. Been here for so many years, I meet these guys, get closer to them every year. When cricket isn’t there, I’m still in communication with Mr Venky (Mysore). I look up to him, I really respect him.”

Russell’s comments highlight the importance of the support that franchises can provide to players beyond just their on-field performance. KKR’s efforts to address his medical condition have clearly made an impact on Russell and helped him to continue playing at the highest level. His loyalty towards KKR after so many years also reflects the strong bonds that can be formed within a franchise.

Here’s how Twitter reacted to Andre Russel’s comments: