In a tense moment during the Deccan Gladiators vs Aspin Stallions 19th match of the Abu Dhabi T10 League, Andre Russell narrowly escaped what could have been a serious injury after a ferocious straight hit from Andre Fletcher in the third over. Bowling the final delivery of his over, Russell sent down a sharp yorker, which Fletcher drilled straight back past the bowler. Russell had barely a fraction of a second to react, managing to get his hand up just in time to protect his head.
The ball struck Russell hard behind the palm, leaving him visibly in pain. He immediately went down on his haunches, clutching his hand, as Fletcher rushed towards him to check on his condition. Medical staff attended to the all-rounder on the field. Given the impact and discomfort, Russell walked off the field straightaway to receive further assessment.
At the time of the incident, Aspin Stallions were cruising at 38 for no loss after 3 overs, with Fletcher batting on 7 off 7 and Rahmanullah Gurbaz striking a rapid 25 off 11. The delivery that injured Russell capped off an expensive over, as he conceded 9 runs.
The nature and extent of Russell’s injury will be clearer after the team’s update, but the immediate concern was the force of the straight drive and how close he came to a potentially severe blow to the head.
