Caribbean power forward Andre Russell has been released from Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction. The former Indian cricketer has placed the blame for the release on new KKR head coach Abhishek Nayar.
Andre Russell has been an outstanding cricketer in the IPL as he has played for many years in the IPL. He has been playing for Kolkata Knight Riders for 11 years now, since joining the Knight Riders camp in 2014.
Andre Russell announced his retirement from T20Is this year, as the 37-year-old cricketer amassed 2,600 runs, while picking 122 wickets for the franchise over these years. He was named KKR’s Most Valuable Player twice in 2015 and 2019.
Your daily dose of cricket!
“But as coaches change, they make changes.” Mohammad Kaif’s massive statement on Abhishek Nayar
Russell was known to have a huge impact on the KKR setup. However, after his release, former India batter Mohammed Kaif feels that things might not have changed had Abhishek Nayar not been appointed as the new head coach.
“Russell’s release is not right. You had him at 12 crores, and that is not really a big sum for a player like him. He is a once-in-a-generation player. Yes, he was not in good form, but later he also scored runs. But as coaches change, they make changes. I think it was an important decision,” Mohammad Kaif said.
Mohammad Kaif further claimed that the direct reason for Andre Russell’s release was the appointment of Abhishek Nayar as head coach. Nayar is probably ready to shape his own side.
“You can say he was not at his peak, but I think it is such a format, especially in the IPL, where experienced players do well, and there are many examples. I think the direct answer to his release is Abhishek Nayar. He wants to form his own team now. But it was an astonishing call,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel.
KKR unlikely to find Russell replacement in mini-auction
After releasing a player of Andre Russell’s caliber, Mohammad Kaif revealed that despite their huge purse, they might not be able to land a player of Russell’s caliber.
“The quality and power of Russell, even four players like Cameron Green cannot cover that. The way he plays, he can hit 100m sixes at his will, and he has won them so many matches in situations where the game seemed lost. He got that respect because of that ability. There are very few players like him at number seven,” noted Mohammad Kaif.
“If you play Green at seven, he can’t even score half of Russell’s points, he beats the order. I think they should buy Russell back,” Kaif added.
Can KKR buy out Andre Russell in the mini-auction?
This has been a clear message that Andre Russell expects to leave his former franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders. It was released after being bought for INR 12 crores before the mega auction.
KKR still has overseas spots as well as a huge stock market. They will be able to regain the services of Andre Russell, but this time at a lower cost than before. However, it was revealed that CSK was already in the running for the veteran all-rounder before the mini-auction.
ALSO READ: Glenn Maxwell will not enter IPL 2026 auction
