Kolkata Knight Riders legend and two-time IPL winner Andre Russell has announced his decision to retire from the competition. Russell said that he will join KKR’s backroom staff for the upcoming IPL 2026 season as the new power coach of the three-time champions.
Russell was released by KKR ahead of the mini-auction in December, after spending 12 seasons with the Kolkata-based franchise. The West Indies all-rounder decided to show his loyalty to the Knight Riders by deciding not to put on the jersey of another side.
In his statement, Russell said that he felt it was the right decision not to continue playing the IPL as he wanted to end on a high. The all-rounder said he found it weird seeing himself in jerseys of other teams and it gave him sleepless nights.
“Hello KKR fans. I’m here today, to tell you that I’ve made a decision to retire from the IPL. I will still be active playing in various leagues around the world and for all the other KKR franchises. I had some amazing times and great memories (in the IPL), hitting sixes, winning games, getting MVPs… “
“When I made this decision, I felt like it was the best decision at this point. I don’t want to fade out, I want to leave a legacy behind. It’s best to retire when fans ask “why? You still have some more in you. You still could go for a bit longer.” instead of “yeah, you should have done it years back.”
“When you are going through social media, you keep seeing yourself photoshopped in different jerseys (of other teams). I felt weird to see myself in any colour other than purple & gold and those thoughts kept going through my head, leading me to a few sleepless nights,” said Russell.
KKR’S POWER COACH
Russell said he had chats with KKR about his new role with the franchise and he felt the tag power coach suited him the best.
“There have been a lot of conversations between me and Mr. Venky Mysore and also Mr. Shah Rukh Khan, about another chapter in my IPL journey. They have shown me love and respect and have appreciate whatever I’ve been doing on the field. To be in a setup that’s familiar, matters to me a lot.”
“So Kolkata, I’ll be back. I’m here to say I will be a part of the KKR support staff as the new Power Coach in 2026.”
“When I heard that name – ‘Power Coach’, I felt that describes Andre Russell the best, because the power that I possess when I bat, the energy that I show in the field with ball in hand, I can help in any department.”
“So, see you soon. Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo,” read the statement from Russell.
RUSSELL’S IPL NUMBERS
Russell played a total of 140 matches during IPL career, and scored 2651 runs at a strike-rate of 174.18. He also picked 123 wickets at an average of 23.28. His best seasons came in the colours of KKR, being adjuged as the Most Valuable Player of the IPL in 2015 and 2019.
During his time for KKR, Russell scored 2593 runs and picked up 122 wickets.
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