Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have officially retired jersey number 12 to honour their former star all-rounder Andre Russell. The special moment took place during the Knights Unplugged pre-season event ahead of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season.
Russell was one of the biggest match-winners for KKR. He played for the franchise for 11 seasons at Eden Gardens. He first made his IPL debut in 2012 for Delhi Capitals. However, he played only seven matches in two seasons there. In 2014, he joined KKR and became a key player for the team.
The West Indies star scored 2,638 runs and picked up 122 wickets for KKR. He also helped the team win two IPL titles. These came in 2014 and 2024. In the 2024 season, he contributed 222 runs and took 19 wickets.
Andre Russell gets emotional at special tribute
KKR CEO Venky Mysore announced the retirement of jersey number 12 in front of fans. Russell, who is now 37, has retired from playing and joined the team as a Power Coach. During the event, a special video was shown to celebrate his journey with the team.
“I got a bit emotional watching that video. It’s been over a decade of amazing achievements, having been part of two title-winning teams. To see what it meant to everyone… that’s a different enjoyment. World Cups feel special. When you win the IPL, it’s something different. The last one we won, I got teary-eyed. When you have left everything on the field, you don’t regret walking away from the game. Every game I played, I played like it was the last game of my IPL career,” Russell said during KKR’s event.
KKR now face the challenge of replacing their star all-rounder. The team spent INR 25.20 crore to sign Australia’s Cameron Green ahead of IPL 2026. They hope he can fill the big gap left by Russell.
KKR will begin their IPL 2026 campaign on March 29. They will face Mumbai Indians in an away match at the Wankhede Stadium.
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