Andre Russell, a powerful all-rounder from the West Indies, said on Sunday that he is retiring from the Indian Premier League but would remain a “power coach” for the Kolkata Knight Riders.
After a dismal 2025 season, Kolkata released Russell as a player and the fast bowling all-rounder has chosen not to participate in the IPL auction on December 16. The 37-year-old will keep competing in international Twenty20 competitions, including the Caribbean Premier League.
“It’s best to retire when fans ask: ‘Why? You still have some more in you’,” Russell said.
“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,” he added.
Since joining the IPL with Delhi in 2012, Russell has participated in 140 games. In 2014, he moved to Kolkata, where he won two IPL championships.
