Kolkata, Nov 30 (UNI) West Indian great and T20 giant Andre Russell on Sunday announced
his retirement from cash-rich Indian Premier League.
But he was also announced to be a power-coach in KKR with the coming seasons.
“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…,” Russell said through a video on his official handle on social media platform
Instagram, which was uploaded by his Kolkata outfit KKR.
“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,” he said.
“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,” Russell said.
“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,” he said.
“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,” Russell said.
“So, see you soon. Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo,” he added.
