'All I Think About is to Execute': DC's Ishant Sharma Explains Bowling His Unplayable Yorker to KKR's Andre Russell

Facing an improbable total, the chips were already down for the Delhi Capitals in the first innings of their encounter against the Kolkata Knight Riders this past Thursday. And the man they had to face was the dangerous Andre Russell.

But, in the moment of defeat, veteran experience triumphed as DC’s Ishant Sharma bowled an absolute pearler to bamboozle the hard-hitting West Indian and leave him floored, literally and metaphorically.

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And now, the maestro explained how it was done. In an interview clip posted on X by the IPL, Ishant explained his process behind delivering the toe-crunching yorker that swept Russell off his feet.

“See, I knew that five fielders were inside the circle so if I missed I knew where the ball had to travel. It’s very difficult for a bowler to miss the execution. So all I was thinking was to bowl the perfect yorker,” said Ishant in the video.

“In this format there is no such thing as a good ball or a bad ball. You can get hit for a good delivery. So all I think about is to execute all balls according to my plans.”

“I don’t think about field-set, ground dimensions, who’s batting in front of me, nothing like that. I just think about the particular ball and I have to execute that.”

Stay updated with the latest from IPL 2024, including top contenders for the IPL 2024 Orange Cap and IPL 2024 Purple Cap. Explore the complete IPL 2024 Schedule, IPL 2024 Points Table and players with the Most Sixes, Most Fours and Most Fifties in IPL 2024

After KKR racked up 264/5 in 19 overs with a red-hot Andre Russell batting on 41 off 18, DC captain Rishabh Pant turned to Ishant to try and limit the already extensive damage.

Ishant responded with a 144 kph yorker to Russell who was floored while dealing with the stunning delivery as the ball crashed onto the stumps. While Ishant casually turned back to his bowling mark, Russell acknowledged his opponent and could not help but applaud him before heading back to the KKR dug-out.

But, it was far too little, far too late from the DC bowling attack, who were walloped by the likes of a fiery Sunil Narine, an enigmatic Angkrish Raghuvanshi and the finished Rinku Singh, for a mammoth total of 272 runs, which is now second on the list of the highest team totals in IPL history after Sunrisers Hyderabad who scored 277/3 against Mumbai Indians last week.

And Delhi’s reply was nowhere near enough, despite skipper Rishabh Pant’s inspiring fifty, as KKR dominated with the ball to wrap up the match with a 106-run win, and their third consecutive win of the season.