Shah Rukh Khan pens note for KKR’s Andre Russell:King Khan calls him ‘knight in shining armour’; West Indies cricketer announced IPL retirement

Two weeks ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction, West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell has announced his retirement from playing in the Indian Premier League. Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner Shah Rukh Khan wrote an emotional tribute to the star cricketer as Russell moves into a new role with the franchise. Shah Rukh Khan pens an emotional note for Andre Russell After Andre posted a video on his social media on Sunday announcing his retirement as a player from the IPL, Shah Rukh replied to him, writing, “Thank you for the wonderful memories, Andre. Our Knight in shining armour!!! Your contribution to @KKRiders is one for the books…” < Writing about how the cricketer is now transitioning to the role of a power coach within the team, the star 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!!” Thank you for the wonderful memories, Andre. Our Knight in shining armour!!! Your contribution to @KKRiders is one for the books… 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… https://t.co/P9l6gBwoXR— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) November 30, 2025 In his video announcement, Andre Russell revealed he held several discussions with KKR CEO Venky Mysore and Shah Rukh Khan before agreeing to take up the new role. The decision follows his recent release by Kolkata Knight Riders due to a visible decline in his performance over the past few seasons. Despite this, Russell continues to be regarded as one of the most influential and game-changing players in IPL history. For the unversed, Shah Rukh has been the owner of KKR since 2008. Juhi Chawla’s husband, Jay Mehta, is also a partner. Recent work Shah Rukh was last seen in the 2023 films Pathaan, Jawan and Dunki. He also played a cameo in his son Aryan Khan’s debut web series, The Ba***ds of Bollywood on Netflix, apart from featuring on The Roshans this year. He is now shooting for Siddharth Anand’s King, starring his daughter Suhana Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, and others.