KKR retires jersey No. 12 in honour of Andre Russell ahead of IPL 2026
Mar 24, 2026
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], March 24 : Three-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Tuesday announced to retire jersey No. 12 in honour of Caribbean all-rounder Andre Russell.
The decision was revealed during the Knights Unplugged 3.0 event, where Rinku Singh was also appointed as the team's vice-captain.
Russell announced his retirement from the IPL on November 30 last year. The all-rounder confirmed that he will join KKR's support staff as the franchise's new "Power Coach" for the 2026 season.
During his IPL career, Russell played 140 games, scoring 2,651 runs, including 12 fifties and taking 123 wickets, with one five-wicket haul.
He made his IPL debut in 2012 for Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals) before joining KKR in the 2014 auction.
He won two titles (2014 and 2024) for the Purple and Gold. Russell also won the IPL MVP award twice during this run, in 2015 and 2019.
KKR will start their campaign against five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) on March 29 in Mumbai.
