“Andre Russell Hasn’t Done Much in Recent Years”: Ex-Captain Slams Star All-Rounder After IPL 2026 Retentions

Former Indian captain Kris Srikkanth shared his views on the major releases after the IPL 2026 retention deadline, including the most surprising one — Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) letting go of all-rounder Andre Russell. Even though Russell has strong T20 numbers and has been with KKR for more than ten years, Srikkanth felt the franchise made the right call because of his recent form.

Russell had a very poor IPL 2025 season with both bat and ball. He averaged under 19 with the bat and took only eight wickets in 13 matches, giving away runs at almost 12 an over.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Srikkanth said: “Andre Russell hasn’t done anything great in the last few years. Releasing him was the right move. Maybe they will buy him back at a lower price.”

The former opener also supported KKR’s decision to release their ₹23.75 crore buy, Venkatesh Iyer. “Venkatesh Iyer’s release was expected as he had a poor last IPL season. Even the year before that, he did well only in the playoffs,” he said.

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Srikkanth also agreed with the releases of Matheesha Pathirana, Liam Livingstone, and Ravi Bishnoi.

“Pathirana had very ordinary performances in the last two seasons. He only performed here and there, nothing great. Ravi Bishnoi’s release was expected. He is an overrated cricketer. Liam Livingstone was overpriced. These players will be bought again by some teams, but for lower prices,” he added.

Pathirana and Bishnoi were priced at ₹13 crore and ₹11 crore by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), while Livingstone joined the 2025 champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for ₹8.75 crore.

Srikkanth Praises DC for Nitish Rana Trade

Kris Srikkanth praised the Delhi Capitals (DC) for getting Nitish Rana from the Rajasthan Royals (RR) through a trade before the IPL 2026 retention deadline. The left-hander showed some good moments in IPL 2025 for RR but ended the season with only 217 runs at an average of under 22 in 11 matches.

“Nitish Rana is a good player. He can be useful and on turning wickets, he can also bowl. So it’s a good plus for DC. I am not sure why RR let him go. Maybe he didn’t perform well last year. But players like Nitish Rana need to be handled well. Some cricketers need the right support,” Srikkanth said.

“Rana Can Be a Match-Winner”

Srikkanth added that Rana performed well for KKR because the team managed him properly.

“When Nitish Rana was with KKR, he was handled well. That’s why he did very well for them. How the team management handles players is very important, and Rana is one of those players. He can be a match-winner for you.”

Both DC and RR missed the playoffs in the 2025 season, with RR finishing second-to-last on the points table.