IPL 2026: Andre Russell Explains Decision To Retire From Indian Premier League, Says 'Don't Want To Fade Out...'

IPL 2026: Windies all-rounder Andre Russell ended his glorious 13-year-long career in the Indian Premier League after announcing his retirement following the IPL retentions. Notably, KKR shocked everyone by releasing Russell ahead of the IPL auction as he spent 11 of his 13 seasons in IPL with the franchise. Interestingly, Russell also featured in two title-winning campaigns for the franchise.

Among the most fearsome batters in the history of Cricket, Russell's ability was second to none. KKR releasing Russell after the retentions could have triggered a bidding war among several franchises; however, the franchise signed the Cricketer as a power-hitting coach for the upcoming edition

In an interaction with Cricbuzz, Russell explained his decision to sign up for this role. Notably, the 37-year-old recalled the examples of legendary sprinter Usain Bolt and batting great AB de Villiers.

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“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," Russell was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.

“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," he added.

During his IPL career, Russell smashed 2,651 runs at a staggering strike rate of 174.17. He also took 123 wickets with his pace bowling.

“To be honest, when I heard that name (Power Coach) coming from Mr Venky (Mysore), 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," Russell explained.

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“I am happy to help in any department – whether it’s in the gym, whether it’s fitness, anything. I’m going to be there to make sure that any player who needs me to assist them with anything – I have the experience to do it. I think it suits me well," he added.