Andre Russell retires from IPL, assigned new role at KKR
What's the story
Star West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell has announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League (IPL). This comes after Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) released him ahead of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction. Russell joined KKR in 2014 and has been a vital part of the team ever since, winning two titles. He ended his IPL career with an incredible tally of 2,651 runs and 123 wickets over 140 matches.
Farewell message
Emotional farewell to KKR fans
In an emotional farewell message, Russell thanked KKR fans for their support over the years. "I had some amazing times and great memories (in the IPL), hitting sixes, winning games, getting MVPs," he said. The all-rounder also revealed that he will continue to ply his trade in various leagues around the world and for other KKR franchises, despite his retirement from the IPL.
Retirement reflections
Russell's thoughts on retirement and plans
Reflecting on his retirement, Russell said he wanted 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,'" he added. The all-rounder also spoke about feeling weird seeing himself in different team jerseys on social media, which led him to sleepless nights over his future with KKR.
Twitter Post
Russell bows out
Hanging up my IPL boots… but not the swagger 💜💛
— Andre Russell (@Russell12A) November 30, 2025
What a ride it’s been in the IPL — 12 seasons of memories, and a whole lot of love from the @KKRiders family 🙏🏿
I’ll still be smashing sixes and taking wickets in every other league around the world 🌎🔥
And the best part?… pic.twitter.com/S5kU0YFRcR
Season
Modest 2025 season with KKR
Russell, who retired from international cricket earlier this year, had a modest 2025 IPL season with KKR. Despite striking at 163.72, he smashed 167 runs in 10 innings. With the ball, he took eight wickets at 27.12. Russell first entered the IPL in 2012, playing four games for Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals). He represented DC in three more games in 2013 before moving to KKR.
IPL career
All-round stats for KKR
Russell is the second-highest run-scorer for KKR in the IPL. He racked up 2,593 runs from 133 games at a staggering strike rate of 174.96 for the franchise. Russell is only behind Gautam Gambhir (3,035) in terms of IPL runs for KKR. The former is also one of only two players with 100-plus wickets (122) for KKR in the tournament, the other being Sunil Narine (192).
Numbers
Overall IPL numbers of Russell
In 140 IPL matches, Russell hammered 2,651 runs with a strike rate of 174.17. He also took 123 wickets at 23.27 with a fifer to his name. Russell's best IPL season was 2019, where he smashed 510 runs from 14 matches at an astronomical strike rate of 204.81. He whacked 52 sixes, the second-most in the season. Russell, who also took 11 wickets, was adjudged the season's Most Valuable Player (MVP).
New role
Russell to join KKR as 'power coach'
As mentioned, Russell has signed up with the Knight Riders as a 'power coach' for IPL 2026. "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," he said. The all-rounder added that being part of a familiar setup matters a lot to him, which is why he accepted the new role with KKR.