KKR owner Shah Rukh Khan pens a touching tribute to Andre Russell after his IPL retirement

Shah Rukh Khan marked the end of Andre Russel‘s IPL playing career with an emotional public tribute, hailing the Caribbean player as a franchise legend and welcoming him into a new role as Kolkata Knight Riders‘ “Power Coach” from the 2026 season. Russell retired from the IPL after 12 seasons, but will remain part of the global set-up for the Knight Riders and other T20 leagues worldwide.

Emotional message from Shah Rukh Khan to Andre Russell

Reacting to Russell’s retirement announcement on social media, SRK thanked the all-rounder for years of service in KKR colors and described him as the “knight in shining armorThe Bollywood superstar emphasized that Russell’s contribution to KKR “is one for the booksand joked that seeing him in a jersey other than the iconic purple and gold “look weird”, which underlines how closely his image is linked to the franchise

Shah Rukh also used the message to underline the significance of Russell’s next chapter, calling him “Muscle Russell for life” and expressing love on behalf of the entire KKR family and fans of the sport. The post framed the transition not as a farewell, but as a continuation of a long-standing partnership that began when Russell joined KKR in 2014 after two seasons at Daredevils from Delhi.​

Russell’s IPL legacy and new role of Strength coach

Russell ended his IPL playing career with one of the most impressive all-round records in the competition’s history, having featured in 140 matches for Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) and KKR, scoring 2,651 runs at a strike rate of over 174 and taking 123 wickets at an economy rate of 9.51. He won two IPL titles with KKR (2014 and 2024) and received two Most Valuable Player awards (2015 and 2019), while producing several iconic innings and match-turning spells that cemented his status as the team’s key game-changer.

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A dip in returns in IPL 2025, where he managed just 167 runs and eight wickets in an economy approaching 12, influenced KKR’s decision to release him ahead of the match. IPL 2026 mini auctioneffectively paving the way for his retirement as a player. However, Russell chose to continue his association with the franchise by accepting a place in the franchise Abishek Nayar‘s revamped coaching staff as ‘Power Coach’, a role Shah Rukh explained would see him ‘passing on the wisdom, the muscles and of course the strength“To the next generation of KKR batters. Under this arrangement, Russell will remain a key presence in the Knight Riders ecosystem, even as he continues to play franchise T20 cricket in other leagues and for the wider Knight Riders group teams.

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