Kolkata Knight Riders have made one of the biggest decisions in IPL history. They have released Andre Russell, their star allrounder and one of the most famous faces of the league.
Russell played for KKR from 2014. The team kept him before the 2025 mega auction for INR 12 crore. He became one of their main players over the years.
Russell is a true T20 legend. He is also one of the greatest players in IPL history. Only two cricketers have more than 2000 runs and 100 wickets in the league. One is Russell. The other is Ravindra Jadeja. Russell has now been released. Jadeja has been traded. This makes the 2026 retention window one of the most dramatic in IPL.
The decision may shock many fans. KKR had even thought of releasing Russell before the 2025 auction, but they did not act at that time. Russell is now 37. He retired from international cricket in July. After the 2019 World Cup, he only played T20 cricket.
Russell won the Player of the Tournament award in 2019. He was part of KKR’s title wins in 2014 and 2024. He also earned 16 Player of the Match awards for the team, second only to Sunil Narine. He was known for his power hitting, especially in the last overs. He has 223 sixes. This is the joint seventh-highest in IPL history.
Several franchises wanted Russell in a trade. KKR will enter the 2026 auction with a large purse of INR 64.30 crore. They may even try to buy him again. Teams will also look at how he played in the 2025 season.
Russell scored 167 runs in 10 innings at a strike rate of 163.72. He also hit a fifty. His bowling form, however, was not strong. He took eight wickets in nine innings. His average was 27.12 and his economy rate was 11.94.
