Andre Russell Announces Retirement From IPL After 14 Seasons

Kolkata Knight Riders icon and two-time IPL champion Andre Russell has officially confirmed his retirement from the tournament. He revealed that he will now become part of KKR’s support staff for the IPL 2026 season, taking up the role of power coach for the three-time title winners. Russell was released by the franchise before the December mini-auction, ending his 12-year association with the Kolkata outfit.

The West Indies star chose to remain loyal to the Knight Riders by refusing to represent any other IPL team. In his announcement, Russell shared that stepping away from the league felt like the right call, as he wanted to finish his IPL journey on a positive note. He also admitted that the idea of wearing another franchise’s jersey felt uncomfortable and even caused 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.

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Andre Russell To Return To KKR As Power Coach In IPL 2026

Andre Russell mentioned that he discussed his future role with the KKR management and felt that the title of power coach was the most fitting for him.

“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.