The retention deadline for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 ended on November 15, and one of the premiere and unexpected releases was Andre Russell, as he belonged to the KKR released players 2026 list.
This was a shocking and surprising decision from the side of the Kolkata Knight Riders because Russell had been their match winner for over ten years. But the release could be attributed to his declining performance during IPL 2025. He played a total of 13 matches during which he scored only 167 runs at an average of 18.55. He also could capture only eight wickets in nine innings.
He is now going to be put in the IPL 2026 auction. Because of his overall skillset, a lot of teams may wish to target him. Thus let’s consider the trio of teams that might bid for Andre Russell in the IPL 2026 auction.
Teams Likely to Target Andre Russell in IPL 20206
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
It was indeed surprising and even unbelievable that Andre Russell was released on the last day of the IPL 2026 retention deadline. He has been with KKR for 11 seasons, starting in 2014 and staying until he was released in 2025. However, being released does not imply KKR cannot buy him back.
In the last auction, they let go of Venkatesh Iyer but later picked him up again, and the same scenario could arise with Russell. Just the fact that he has been a match-winner for KKR might make the franchise think twice about letting him go. With the biggest budget of INR 64.3 crore for the auction, this could actually be a win for KKR.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
Chennai Super Kings could be one of the teams that bid for Andre Russell in the IPL 2026 auction. CSK has already lost two major all-rounders by dealing with Rajasthan Royals Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran before the retention deadline. They have kept Jamie Overton and Shivam Dube, but they still require a player who can both hit the winning runs and bowl pace in the middle and at death.
In the auction market, there are very few that come close to Andre Russell for that role. CSK might consider him among the foremost with a remaining purse of INR 43.4 crore and a requirement of nine players.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
Sunrisers Hyderabad have the third largest budget for the IPL 2026 auction. They have kept most of their 2025 season squad together but have let go of Abhinav Manohar, who was signed for the role of the batsman in finishing but had not been able to deliver, among others. Since that role is open for SRH, Andre Russell can be the strongest option for the team to come in.
Having him in the team would resolve many problems. He can be the batman to take the game away and has also been a good death bowler. Just think of their overseas players along with Russell, if they buy him, it could be Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen, Pat Cummins and Andre Russell, which would be the best overseas combination in the playing XI.
