It might stun a few but Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) had won four out of their first five games in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 before collapsing spectacularly to miss out on a playoff berth.
Out of those matches in the initial run-in, there was a tie between KKR and Delhi Capitals (DC).
Progressing to the playoffs should have been a piece of cake then, right? But the Knight Riders lost every bit of momentum they had built and slipshod decisions by the management, be it erring with personnel in the batting order or reading match situations, saw their season go on a freefall.
And in a must-win match at the Wankhede Stadium on May 5, the Windies all-rounder Andre Russell failed to save his IPL team from falling into a dark pit after he and his fellow team members crumbled down to Mumbai Indians’ bowling attack. As the pressure started building up, Russell walked out to the field to bat at number five and was foxed by experienced Sri Lanka pacer Lasith Malinga for a duck. From their on, there was no saving for KKR and they were restricted to 133 by the home team.
As a result, KKR lost the one and only chance of qualifying into the playoffs to compete for the magnificent trophy in the ongoing IPL. KKR’s sluggish knock left thousands of fans heartbroken including Russell’s wife Jassym Lora who has been accompanying her husband at the cricket fields to cheer for him and his team.
Bidding an emotional adieu to the Knight Riders, Jassym posted a picture of KKR logo in her Instagram story which was drawn on the floor with rangoli with a broken heart emoji.
Jassym, who is a popular Jamaican model, was enjoying her time in India as her husband Andre Russell proved to be one of the star performers in the IPL 2019. After KKR’s win over MI at the Eden Gardens in their previous game, Jassym had a special interaction with Russell in the post match ceremony. Russell said that whenever he walks inside the field, his aim is to impress his wife with his batting skills.
When Jassym affectionately asked Russell if he considers his beautiful wife as a lucky charm, the loving husband, who couldn’t stop blushing, replied, “Yes. Of course” filling Lora’s heart with immense happiness.
Well, now that KKR has been knocked out of the IPL 2019, Jassym won’t be able to see her husband smashing the ball out of the field to impress her.
