KINGSTON, Jamaica — All-rounder Andre Russell says his doping ban in 2017 made that year the toughest one for him, as people tried people to pull him down, but he managed to bounce back.

Russell, who joined Kolkata Knight Riders in 2014, missed out on IPL and all forms of cricket for a year.

“To be honest, that year was the toughest year. When you’re doing well, sometimes people look for any reason to try and get it down. But that actually made me stronger. You know, Venky (Mysore) reached out to me, said they just want me to have a peaceful year to relax my head and to actually focus on cricket,” he was quoted as saying in an article on KKR’s website KKR.in.

“Being away from the game for a year, you know a lot of people doubted that I would come back and do the same thing. And I say you know what, this is the big moment. And good players shine in the big games. Three months before the ban lifted, I went on beast mode, getting stronger, losing weight. I came back in 2018 in a good season for KKR,” Russell recalled.

That season, the Jamaican all-rounder scored 316 runs, with a highest-score of 88 not out. However, KKR finished at No 3, losing in the play-offs.