As Andre Russell prepares to retire from international cricket, he has pinpointed his match-winning performance against India in the 2016 T20 World Cup semi-final as the best moment of his career. The West Indies all-rounder will officially retire after the first two T20Is against Australia, which will be held at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica on July 20 and 22.

Russell reflected on his career highlight in an interview with Cricket West Indies (CWI). He recalled the high-pressure chase of 193 runs in Mumbai, where he came in at No. 5 and smashed an unbeaten 43 off 20 balls. His explosive innings included a match-winning six over midwicket off Virat Kohli, securing the West Indies' victory with two balls to spare.

"Definitely [my best moment was] the 2016 World Cup, that semi-final game against India where I brought the team home, me and Lendl Simmons, and obviously the start that we got from the other batters," Russell stated. He acknowledged the pressure of playing against a home crowd in India, but credited the team's confidence and batting depth for allowing him to play freely. "Chasing 190-plus in that semi-final in India, with the crowd supporting India only, that was already a bit of pressure," he said. "But the wicket was very good, so the confidence we had in the changing room and the batters that were left to come gave me the freedom and the confidence to play the role that I did".

The victory propelled the West Indies into the final, where they defeated England to win their second T20 World Cup title. Russell was a part of both World Cup triumphs and said the memories are etched in his heart.

Russell has been a white-ball specialist since 2019 and has represented the Caribbean side in 84 T20Is. Ending his international career at Sabina Park makes it even more special for him. "It's a pretty good feeling," he said. "I think, [from the] first time I came to Sabina Park as a kid, and then to actually walk on the grass and feel the atmosphere and look in the stands and everything, and [to] now, I've achieved so much out of cricket for the last couple of years. I did my best every chance I got, representing the West Indies". Russell added, "I think it's the perfect ground and the perfect series, against a good team as well, Australia, to end my international career".