Andre Russell Retires from IPL, Joins KKR Support Staff as ‘Power Coach’

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) icon Andre Russell has announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League after the franchise opted not to retain him ahead of the 2026 season. The 37-year-old allrounder will now transition into a new role within the franchise, joining the support staff as KKR’s “power coach.”

In a video message on Sunday, Russell said the time felt right to step away from IPL cricket despite still being active on the global T20 circuit.
“I’ve made a decision to retire from the IPL… I’ve had amazing times and great memories—hitting sixes, winning games, MVP, and all those things,” he said.
“I don’t want to fade out. I want to leave a legacy… It’s best to retire when fans ask, ‘Why? You still have more in you,’ instead of, ‘You should have done it years back.’”

Russell spoke candidly about the internal struggle leading to his decision, joking about how strange he felt visualising himself in another IPL jersey. He revealed that he had lengthy discussions with KKR CEO Venky Mysore and co-owner Shah Rukh Khan, who encouraged him toward a new chapter with the franchise.
“They showed me respect and love… To be in a set-up I’m familiar with matters a lot,” he said.

A two-time IPL champion with KKR in 2014 and 2024, and the league’s MVP in 2019, Russell leaves behind one of the most impactful legacies in franchise history. He earned 16 Player-of-the-Match awards, second only to Sunil Narine for KKR, and is one of only two players in IPL history—alongside Ravindra Jadeja—to score over 2000 runs and take 100 wickets.

His new designation—“power coach”—immediately resonated with him.
“When I heard that name… I said ‘power coach, hmm, that describes Dre Russ,’” he laughed.
“The power I possess when I bat, the energy I show in the field, with the ball—I can help in any department.”

Russell’s announcement came on the final day for player registrations ahead of the IPL 2026 auction, set for December 16 in Abu Dhabi. His release freed up INR 18 crore in KKR’s purse under IPL retention rules, giving the franchise the strongest budget going into the auction—INR 64.3 crore—though they currently have only 12 players on their roster.

KKR’s backroom unit is undergoing a major overhaul, with Abhishek Nayar appointed head coach, Tim Southee as bowling coach, Shane Watson joining as assistant coach, and Dwayne Bravo continuing as team mentor.

Russell had been retained ahead of the 2025 mega auction, but this time, the franchise opted to release him along with several major names including Venkatesh Iyer, Quinton de Kock, Anrich Nortje, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz.

Despite stepping away from the IPL, Russell reaffirmed his commitment to the Knight Riders franchise network worldwide and promised fans he isn’t going far:
“So Kolkata, I’ll be back… I’ll be part of the KKR support staff.”