Kolkata, March 25: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) star all-rounder Andre Russell will not be seen as a player in IPL 2026. He announced his retirement from the league after IPL 2025. In a tribute to this iconic player, KKR has decided to retire his jersey number 12 during a ceremony held on Tuesday.
Over the past decade, Andre Russell has delivered remarkable performances with both bat and ball for KKR. He ranks second in the list of players with the most runs and wickets for the team.
Russell joined KKR in 2014 and played continuously for the team until 2025. During this period, he participated in 139 matches and scored 2,658 runs in 115 innings, including 13 half-centuries. His strike rate stood at an impressive 175.09, with a highest score of 88 not out. His explosive batting has led KKR to victories in matches that seemed impossible to win.
The record for the most runs for KKR is held by former captain Gautam Gambhir, who scored 3,376 runs in 123 matches from 2011 to 2017, including 30 half-centuries and a highest score of 93. Under Gambhir’s leadership, KKR won the championship in 2012 and 2014. KKR also clinched the title in 2024 under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer, with Gambhir serving as a mentor.
On the bowling front, Russell took 124 wickets in 119 innings across 139 matches. He achieved the remarkable feat of taking 5 wickets in a single innings once and 4 wickets twice. His best bowling performance was 5 wickets for just 15 runs.
The record for the most wickets for KKR belongs to Sunil Narine, who took 210 wickets in 198 matches from 2012 to 2025.
In IPL 2026, Andre Russell will take on the role of ‘Power Coach’ for KKR.
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