'New Chapter, Forever A Knight', Andre Russell Hangs Up His Purple And Golden Boots, Announces IPL Retirement

The road to IPL 2026 is proving to be a surprising one as far as the three-time defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are concerned. Kolkata Knight Riders, after the debacle in the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League, are going for a massive overhaul this season, and they shocked everybody by releasing a few big names on the day of the retention and releases deadline.

The Kolkata Knight Riders will be heading into the IPL 2026 auction with a hefty purse of ₹64.30 crore, and they will have plenty of shopping to do prior to the next season of the Indian Premier League. The three-time champions shocked everybody by letting go of Venkatesh Iyer and their biggest match-winner, Andre Russell.

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Andre Russell Announces IPL Retirement

West Indies legend Andre Russell took to social media and announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League. There were a lot of rumours around Andre Russell and which team might pick him up in the auction, but the Kolkata Knight Riders have put these rumours to rest, and he will now continue his association with the franchise as their power coach.

"Hanging up my IPL boots, but not the swagger. What a ride it’s been in the IPL, 12 seasons of memories, and a whole lot of love from the KKR family. I am not leaving home, you’ll see me in a new role, in KKR’s Support Staff, as the power coach of 2026. New chapter, same energy, forever a Knight," wrote Russell in his retirement post.

The star all-rounder had joined Kolkata Knight Riders in 2014, and he has won two championships with the franchise and is one of the biggest stars as far as the franchise's illustrious history is concerned. Earlier this year, Russell also retired from international cricket.

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Dissecting Andre Russell's IPL Career

Russell has played a total of 139 IPL games and has scored 2651 runs at an average of 28.2 and with a strike rate of 174.18. Andre Russell has also won two IPLs with KKR.