Venky Mysore (R) & Gautam Gambhir and his family (L) [Source: X]Amidst all the injury woes, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) did something for their fans on Tuesday to change their mood ahead of IPL 2026.The Purple and Gold Brigade, who had won three IPL titles (2012, 2014 and 2024), gave the highest honour to their franchise great, showing the world that loyalty still has significant value.Of course, the individual who got recognised had done something remarkable in the past more often than not. Therefore, the franchise gave him the reward he rightly deserved without a shadow of doubt.KKR Retire No. 12 Jersey; Celebrate Andre Russell IPL LegacyTwo-time IPL’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) award winner Andre Russell decided to retire from the competition just before the last mini auction. The big Jamaican, who was at his very best in 2015 and 2019, preferred to serve the franchise as a power coach going forward.Hence, when Knights Unplugged 3.0 was taking place in Kolkata on Tuesday, KKR CEO Venky Mysore gave Russell a reward he will be forever grateful for ahead of IPL 2026.There, Mysore announced jersey number 12 – something that Russell made iconic by wearing for them – will always be his. No. 12 will not be worn by anybody in the future IPL editions for them.KolkataKnightRiders @KKRiders Jersey no. 12 in Purple & Gold will always be yours DRE RUSS 💪💜 Mar 24, 2026, 9:39 PM Also Read: RCB New Owner Announced, Manchester United OutWhen Did Andre Russell Join KKR For IPL?Before joining the Kolkata Knight Riders, Russell was part of the Delhi Daredevils (now known as Delhi Capitals). The Caribbean giant played there for two seasons before the Mysore-led think tank acquired him and got the best out of him.Russell was with the Delhi Daredevils in 2012 and 2013, and Kolkata Knight Riders signed him before IPL 2014. After registering himself with a base price of INR 50 lakh, Mysore won the battle of paddles with just an INR 60 lakh bid.The rest is history, as Russell became one of the biggest names in the history of IPL. Notably, he served a one-year ban for doping during IPL 2017 and also had several injury setbacks. Yet, KKR kept faith in him.Why Did KKR Release Andre Russell?Kolkata Knight Riders had no choice but to make a decision to release Andre Russell ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. They only picked 12 players to keep in their squad: Ajinkya Rahane, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Anukul Roy, Harshit Rana, Manish Pandey, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Sunil Narine, Umran Malik, Vaibhav Arora and Varun Chakaravarthy.With Russell, now at the age of 37, having a price of INR 12 crore for IPL 2025, a retention for IPL 2026 could cost them massively in their purse budget.On the other hand, Mysore and his management could not see Russell playing for other franchises going forward. Hence, they told him to retire, and now, they made him what he truly earned.Has Andre Russell Retired From Cricket?Even though Russell retired from IPL, he is still going, both with the bat and the ball. Most recently, he was in action during SA20, where he represented Pretoria Capitals.Moreover, Russell plays for Knight Riders’ sister franchises Trinbago Knight Riders, Los Angeles Knight Riders and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders.Also Read: Middle East Crisis Troubles KKR! Marquee IPL Stars Affected By Air Travel Disruptions
