Former West Indies cricketer andre russell Has retired from the Indian Premier League. Russell has retired from the IPL after playing in the league for a total of 13 seasons and giving many excellent performances.
Russell said that he will no longer be a part of IPL as a player. He also revealed that he wanted to “leave a legacy behind” rather than go away quietly.
“Hello KKR fans. I am here today to tell you that I have decided to retire from the IPL. I will still be active in different leagues around the world and for all the other KKR franchises. I had some amazing times and good memories (in the IPL), hitting sixes, winning games, getting the MVP. When I took this decision, I felt it was the best decision at the time. I don't want to fade away, I want to leave behind a legacy. It's best to retire when fans ask, 'You still have some more time to go,' rather than 'Yeah, you should have done it years ago,'” Russell said.
Russell, who was not retained by the franchise ahead of the mini auction for IPL 2026, admitted that he would not be comfortable playing for any other franchise except KKR. He also thanked Venky Mysore and Shahrukh Khan for the praise they have given him.
He said, “When you are on social media, you keep seeing yourself photoshopped in different jerseys (of other teams). I used to feel weird seeing myself in any other color other than purple and gold and those thoughts kept running through my mind, which gave me sleepless nights. There have been a lot of conversations between me and Mr. Venky Mysore and Mr. Shahrukh Khan about another chapter in my IPL journey. They have shown me love and respect and have been very supportive of whatever I am doing on the field. Yes, appreciate that.”
While concluding, Russell acknowledged that he would fit the description of power coach perfectly, and expressed his excitement to be a part of the franchise's coaching setup in the next edition.
“So Kolkata, I will be back. I am here to say that I will be a part of the KKR support staff in 2026 as the new Power Coach. When I heard that name – 'Power Coach', I thought it describes Andre Russell best, because the power I have when I bat, the energy I show in the field with the ball in my hand, I can help in any department. So, see you soon.” korbo lorbo jeetbo, Russell concluded.
Russell joins KKR in 2014 and became an instant hit. He scored 2593 runs and took 122 wickets in 133 matches with the three-time champions. Apart from his performances with bat and ball, Russell was also a live wire on the field, facing many blinders in the outfield.
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