Overview
- Russell confirmed he will not enter the mini-auction and will remain with Kolkata Knight Riders in a newly created “power coach” role focused on passing on power-hitting, intensity and fitness guidance.
- He framed the decision as avoiding a late-career decline, citing Usain Bolt and AB de Villiers as examples of leaving at the top rather than “fading out.”
- The appointment is the first of its kind in the IPL, with Shah Rukh Khan describing the brief as imparting “wisdom, muscle and power” to KKR’s players.
- Across 13 IPL seasons, Russell scored 2,651 runs at a strike rate near 174 and took 123 wickets, winning titles with KKR in 2014 and 2024, earning MVP honors in 2015 and 2019, and delivering 3/19 in the 2024 final.
- In recent interviews he named Jasprit Bumrah as the toughest bowler he faced and picked Mumbai Indians as the opponent that most consistently tested KKR, and he indicated he will continue playing in other T20 leagues.