England wicketkeeper batter Sam Billings was picked up by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL 2022 mega auction for Rs 2 crore and he has proven his worth in the current season by making valuable contributions. In the final game against Mumbai Indians, Billings produced a quickfire stump to send the dangerous Dewald Brevis back, hitting the bat with a 25-run knock. Having previously represented Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals in the IPL, KKR is the English batter’s third franchise in the cash-rich league. Speaking to DailyExpertNews, Billings shared what it was like to represent the two-time IPL champions and how CSK and KKR are similar.
“Yes, I think clearly with the three franchises I have represented in the IPL, CSK has been incredibly successful. Winning the IPL and also finishing second. Two years I really enjoyed. I think KKR has a lot of similarities with CSK in terms of organization and consistency on and off the field,” Billings told DailyExpertNews.
“I think it plays a big part in why both franchises have been successful. I definitely think the fresh positivity of Brendon McCullum (KKR head coach) is something I’ve really enjoyed so far and definitely a different approach to the most coaches that is really good to experience,” he further stated.
So far, Billings has scored 80 runs from 4 games in the current season. In the first game of the season against CSK, Billings formed a crucial partnership to win KKR against the defending champions.
When asked about his comparison to head coach McCullum, Billings said: “Absolutely. That’s the good thing and we get along really well. McCullum gives you confidence as a player. I think that’s so important for any coach, to making sure players feel valued and get the support from him so you can play that attacking and positive cricket.”
Billings also revealed that Andre Russell was the only player he really wanted to share the locker room with in the KKR lineup.
“When you fight Andre Russell and he has his day, it’s about putting your ego aside and doing what’s best for the team. I’m very happy to do that, there are times when I would be needed the aggressor and help the game move forward. I think experience helps a lot with the upshifts and downshifts,” said Billings.
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“I think Andre Russell is the only person I really wanted to share the locker room with. It’s probably a very boring answer. The guy can almost single-handedly change the game out of the blue and is just completely different player to me. His skills are amazing and he is the best on his day,” he added.
KKR has won three out of four games and the franchise currently tops the table with six points. Shreyas Iyer’s side will face Delhi Capitals next Sunday.
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