Clash of the Titans - Andre Russell v Dwayne Bravo

The purest form of cricket is Test cricket, but when it comes to entertainment the T20 format surpasses them all. The ever-growing popularity of the Twenty20 cricket has its fair share of shortcomings but never ever, since its inception in 2003, it has fallen short of entertaining the masses. And 13 years down the line, there are numerous T20 leagues being played around the world with the most popular of them being the Indian Premier League and to a certain extent, the Big Bash. The growing popularity has also resulted in an increase in demand for T20 specialists.

To any average cricket fan, the term ‘T20 specialists’ will throw the images of Chris Gayle, Lasith Malinga, Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell or Dwayne Bravo. And indeed, they are the flag-bearers of this format and superstars in their own rights. They may not be as effective in other formats but when it comes down to the shortest form, they always have a way to take the game away from the opposition even from the most improbable situations. And when someone is as effective as Dwayne John Bravo or be as exciting as Andre Dwayne Russell, then comparisons are inevitable. Consequently, here I am with a statistical analysis and comparison of the all-round abilities of these mercenaries and will try to answer the question.

Who is the better all-rounder between Russell and Bravo?

Batting:

Dwayne Bravo with the bat in the T20 format-

Dwayne Bravo has amassed 4737 runs at a healthy average of 25.88 with a strike rate of 124.78 while registering 17 half-centuries to his name. The Trinidadian has also been successful in the international arena with the willow in his hand.

Andre Russell with the bat in the T20 format-

Andre Russell is also a seasoned campaigner with the bat as he has scored 2909 runs at an average of 23.65 runs and at a daunting strike rate of 165.65, which is also the third best career strike rate in the T20 format (minimum of 250 balls faced). He has fared poorly with the bat while donning the West Indian jersey as he averages a meagre 14.09 at a contrasting strike rate of 129.16.

Now, let us see how these two have fared with the bat since 2015 as comparing the stats of a stipulated time-period will give everyone a better understanding of their abilities.

Batting statistics in the T20 format since the start of 2015-

The statistics of both the all-rounders are almost identical except for the strike rate. Russell’s strike rate of 167.16 is far greater than that of Bravo’s 122.82.

Due to a higher strike rate, Russell has an edge over his fellow teammate. His recent exploits wielding the long handle in the T20 leagues such as IPL, Big Bash, PSL, BPL, and CPL are a testimony to this fact. Bravo’s recent performance with the bat do not instill any confidence and as a result, Russell takes this round fair and square.

Russell- 1 | Bravo- 0

Bowling:

Dwayne Bravo with the bowl in the T20 format-

A master of the slower ball, DJ Bravo is a death over expert as he varies his pace to lure the batsmen to go for the big shots only to deceived. His stats speak for himself as he has the most number of wickets in the T20 format. His economy being on the other side of 8 is courtesy of the fact that he is mostly used in the death overs where bowlers are usually at the mercy of the ruthless batsmen in this cruel format. He has been equally successful in international cricket as well as in the different leagues. He is also the only bowler to win the Purple Cap in the highly competitive Indian Premier League.

Andre Russell with the bowl in the T20 format-

Andre Russell is the typical hit-the-deck-hard bowler who relies on his pace to get the better of batsmen. He possesses a potent yorker and is a handy bowler in the death. He sometimes used to be very erratic with his line and length but his bowling has improved significantly over the past two years.

Now, let us look at their more recent performance.

Bowling statistics in the T20 format since the start of 2015-

This is another aspect where both of them are as good as the other. If we go by these stats then the beast from Jamaica would surely come out on top as he is having a superlative economy and average, but the far better accuracy and greater experience of Bravo makes sure that this round goes to the Chaampyan from Trinidad, though the gap between the two was very less.

Russell- 1 | Bravo- 1

Fielding:

When it comes to fielding, they both are absolute live-wires on the field. We rarely see either one of them dropping catches. In fact, they even make a half-chance look like a sitter and have pulled off stunners every now and then. Without any further deliberations, this round is a tie. Each player gets a point apiece.

Russell- 2 | Bravo- 2

Match-winning Performances:

Since the start of 2015, the Jamaican has won 6 Man of the Match awards while Bravo has won 5. In addition to the 6 MoM awards, Russell was adjudged the Most Valuable Player of the tournament in IPL 8. He has also won the Big Bash (with Melbourne Stars) and the Pakistan Super League (with Islamabad United) while Bravo has only the Caribbean Premier League title (with Trinbago Knight Riders, formerly known as Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel) to his name.

Therefore, this round belongs to the amazing Andre by the virtue of the winning more number of leagues and that valuable MVP award.

Russell- 3 | Bravo- 2

Verdict:

This is the toughest part as both these cricketers have some mind-boggling stats with both the bat and the ball. They are true match-winners and are consistent in this format. But on current form, and due to some serious hitting ability Andre Russell is a better all-rounder than Dwayne Bravo.

That’s all for the Clash of these Titans. I hope to not invite the wrath of Bravo’s fans as the facts established above are solely based on raw statistics.