Shah Rukh Khan thanks his 'Knight in shining armour' Andre Russell as he takes on a new role in KKR

MUMBAI — With just two weeks remaining for the mini-auction for the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL), West Indies cricketer Andre Russell has announced his retirement from the tournament.

Bollywood star and the owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders, Shah Rukh Khan, shared a heartfelt tribute on social media for the cricketer as he takes on a new role as KKR's power coach.

Andre has become a part of Abhishek Nayar's new coaching setup, along with Shane Watson and Tim Southee.

SRK shared that Andre will be passing on his experience and power game to the younger generation.

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Reacting to Andre's video announcing his retirement, King Khan wrote on the micro-blogging site, “Thank you for the wonderful memories, Andre. Our Knight in shining armour!!! Your contribution to @KKRiders is one for the books…(sic)”.

Talking about the cricketer switching positions as the power coach in the team, Shah Rukh added, “And here’s to another chapter in your fantastic journey as a sportsman… The power coach - passing down the wisdom, the muscle and of course the power down to our boys in purple and gold… And yes, any other jersey would indeed look weird on you my man... Muscle Russell for life! Love u… on behalf of the team and everyone who loves the sport!!”

In the video, Andre revealed that he has had several conversations with Shah Rukh before stepping into this new role.

For those who do not know, Shah Rukh has been the owner of KKR since 2008. He is accompanied by actress Juhi Chawla’s husband, Jay Mehta, who is also a partner in the team.

During his tenure with the Kolkata Knight Riders, Andre garnered 2593 runs and took 122 wickets.

The all-rounder cricketer announced his retirement from international cricket earlier this year.