Andre Russell getting released by KKR hit him harder than anyone expected. The West Indian superstar had been with the Kolkata Knight Riders since 2014, making it his home. When the franchise let him go, Russell couldn’t sleep properly for several nights. He even talked about retiring from cricket, which shocked fans everywhere.
Why Did KKR Release Andre Russell?
Money played a huge part in this tough decision by the team management. KKR’s CEO Venky Mysore explained that they needed INR 18 crores for their auction purse badly. Russell’s contract was worth INR 12 crores, but releasing him somehow freed up more money. That’s just how the financial math worked out for them.
“Some people missed the fundamental point, which is the [purse] deduction for us was 18 crore, not 12 crore by releasing Dre. Although his contract value was 12 crore, the deduction from our purse was 18 crore in 2025.
“A lot of people missed that and said, oh, why would KKR not see value in a person who is at 12 crores? 18 crores, which would be deducted from our purse if we had reattained him, is a lot of money in the context of an auction. That was the trigger.”
The decision wasn’t made in a hurry or without thinking things through carefully. Mysore said they held countless meetings about their roster before the retention deadline arrived.
Everyone at KKR knew letting Russell go would hurt emotionally for all parties involved. But sometimes teams have to make brutal choices when building a squad for IPL 2026.
How SRK Helped Russell Through This Difficult Time
Shah Rukh Khan stepped in when Russell needed support the most during this crisis. The Bollywood superstar owns KKR and has always cared deeply about his players. SRK called Russell and had a proper heart-to-heart conversation about everything. He didn’t want Russell just disappearing from cricket after giving so much to the game.
“I could see he was agonising over it, and when I shared this with SRK, it was actually SRK’s suggestion of offering Russell a coaching role. Because, see, a player is thinking somewhere at the back of his mind, what happens after I hang up my boots?
“But I don’t think they want to think about it also so much because professional athletes are like that. They believe I’m still good, and Dre still is – he is fantastic and playing other leagues,” he added.
That’s when SRK came up with a brilliant solution for everyone involved here. He suggested Russell could join KKR as a coach instead of retiring completely.
This idea gave Russell a new purpose and kept him connected to the franchise. Russell had spent over a decade with this team, so staying involved meant everything to him.
Russell’s New Journey as a Coach
Russell eventually accepted the coaching role offer after thinking about it for some time. Mysore believes Russell’s playing experience will help young cricketers grow faster under his guidance. The transition from player to coach isn’t easy, but Russell seems ready for this challenge.
His emotional connection to KKR made accepting this position feel natural and right. Fans will still see Russell around the team, just in a different capacity now.
