Andre Russell reveals why he retired from IPL, opens up on ‘power coach’ role in KKR

Former Kolkata Knight Riders star Andre Russell shocked the world by deciding to retire from the Indian Premier League (IPL) after being released by the franchise. After spending years with the three-time champions, the West Indies sensation parted ways, as a player, before the IPL 2026 auction. However, Russell’s time at KKR is not done yet as he will now be a part of the team’s support staff. Russell has now opened up on his decision to step away from the IPL.

Why did Russell retire?

In an interview with Cricbuzz, Russell explained that he felt that retirement was the best decision for him at present, adding that he didn’t want to fade away. He added that playing in the IPL was certainly more challenging than featuring in leagues across the world.

“Take Usain Bolt, for example, or AB de Villiers. When those guys hung up their boots while still at the top of their game, a lot of fans were asking, “why?” When I made this decision, I felt it was the best decision for me at this point. I don’t want to fade out; I want to leave a legacy behind. I believe it’s best to retire when people still say “why” rather than reaching a stage where they say, ‘okay, yeah, you should have retired three or four years ago‘,” Russell said.

New role in KKR

Speaking on his role as power coach for KKR in IPL 2026, Russell admitted that the position and its responsibilities was something new for him.

“To be honest, when I heard that name coming from Mr Venky (Mysore, the CEO), I said, hmm, that describes Dre Russ perfectly, that describes Andre Russell… because when it comes to what I’ve been doing on the field – the power that I possess when I bat, the energy that I show in the field with the ball in hand – I thought, yeah, this name sounds good: POWER COACH,” Russell added.

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