SRK's Heartfelt Tribute: Why Andre Russell's IPL Retirement Hits Different

In a post on X, SRK thanked Russell for giving the KKR family "wonderful memories" during his 12-year association with the purple squad. SRK also expressed his excitement to see Russell donning a new hat as "power coach" for the Kolkata Knight Riders.

"Thank you for the wonderful memories, Andre. Our Knight in shining armour!!! Your contribution to @KKRiders is one for the books... and here's to another chapter in your fantastic journey as a sportsman... The power coach - passing down the wisdom, the muscle and of course the power down to our boys in purple and gold... And yes, any other jersey would indeed look weird on you my man... Muscle Russell for life! Love u... on behalf of the team and everyone who loves the sport," he wrote.

Earlier on Sunday, the all-rounder confirmed that he will join KKR's support staff as the franchise's new "Power Coach" for the 2026 season.

Russell added that he will continue playing in T20 leagues around the world and will remain part of the other Knight Riders teams globally.

In a video message to fans, Russell said, "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.

"Explaining why he felt the timing was right, he said, "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.'"

Russell revealed that constant speculation linking him to other teams also played on his mind."When you are going through social media, you keep seeing yourself photoshopped in different jerseys. I felt weird to see myself in any colour other than purple and gold, and those thoughts kept going through my head, leading me to a few sleepless nights," he said.

He added that detailed discussions with KKR CEO Venky Mysore and team co-owner Shah Rukh Khan convinced him about his next chapter.

"There have been a lot of conversations between 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 appreciated whatever I've been doing on the field. To be in a setup that's familiar matters to me a lot," he added.

During his IPL career, Russell played 140 games, scoring 2,651 runs, including 12 fifties and taking 123 wickets, with one five-wicket haul. He made his IPL debut in 2012 for Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals) before joining KKR in the 2014 auction.He won two titles (2014 and 2024) for the Purple and Gold. Russell also won the IPL MVP award twice during this run, in 2015 and 2019.

The announcement came days after Kolkata Knight Riders released the West Indian all-rounder ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.

- ANI