Why is Andre Russell not playing in MI vs KKR clash in IPL 2026?
(Courtesy : BCCI)
Andre Russell was part of KKR last season.
The match 2 of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) got underway on March 29 (Sunday) at Wankhede Stadium. While Hardik Pandya is the captain of MI, Ajinkya Rahane is leading KKR in IPL 2026.
Notably, KKR have a very poor record against MI at Wankhede Stadium, losing 10 games out of 12 over the years. On the other hand, Mumbai have never won the opening game of an IPL season since the 2012 edition.
Pandya won the toss and elected to field first. Notably, the MI vs KKR match will be the first time in a long time that the three-time champions will be playing an IPL game without Andre Russell. This made many wonder as to why the all-rounder didn’t play and the reason behind this is below.
Why is Andre Russell not playing MI vs KKR match?
Notably, Russell announced his retirement from IIPL in November last year. The Caribbean all-rounder represented the franchise for 12 seasons from 2014 to 2025, representing only one team in his entire career.
He ended his career as one of the most successful all-rounders in IPL and was retained by the franchise over the years. After his retirement, he joined KKR as a Power Coach for IPL 2026. In the role, he will aim to impart his power-hitting expertise to younger players.
In 140 games in the tournament, Russell scored 2561 runs at an average of 28.20 and a strike rate of 174.18. He also hammered 12 half-centuries, including a highest score of unbeaten 88 runs. He clinched 123 wickets at an average of 23.28 and an economy of 9.51.
KKR will be hoping to start the IPL 2026 on a high and build the momentum right from the start to lift their fourth IPL title.
When did Andre Russell retire from IPL?
Russell retired from IPL in November 2025. He is the power coach of KKR in IPL 2026.
What is Andre Russell’s record in the IPL?
He played 140 matches in the tournament, scoring 2651 runs and picking 123 wickets.
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Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.