Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have made a stunning call by releasing their charismatic all-rounder Andre Russell ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. Russell, who was with the franchise for 12 crore, was not retained along with Venkatesh Iyer, Quinton de Kock, Moeen Ali and Anrich Nortje.

Russell joined KKR in 2014 and became one of their biggest match-winners, playing a key role in their title-winning campaign. In 2020, CEO Venky Mysore had even said Russell would remain with the franchise until he retired from T20s , but after 10 seasons, KKR have chosen to move on from the Jamaican all-rounder.

The Knight Riders have also released Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Spencer Johnson, part of a major squad overhaul that leaves the franchise with a hefty 64.3 crore purse ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. Wi

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