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“4 Cameron Greens cannot match…”: Kaif slams KKR for Andre Russell's IPL release

Aakash Saini

Andre Russell and Mohammad Kaif [Source: AFP, @ShubmanGill7fc/x]Andre Russell and Mohammad Kaif [Source: AFP, @ShubmanGill7fc/x]

In a shocking move, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise released T20 global icon Andre Russell from their squad ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. The franchise also released fellow overseas stars like Anrich Nortje, Quinton de Kock, Moeen Ali and Rahmanullah Gurbaz from the team along with Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer to clear up their purse earlier this month.

The decision to part ways with Russell, one of their premier all-rounders since IPL 2014, unsurprisingly drew the ire of a legion of KKR loyalists, many of whom are now questioning the judgment of the team management. Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif also questioned the KKR franchise for releasing the legendary West Indies cricketer, describing the latter as a “once in a generation player”.

Mohammad Kaif blames new coach Abhishek Nayar for Russell release

While speaking on his YouTube channel, former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif questioned the KKR management for letting go of Andre Russell, even though the all-rounder was valued just Rs. 12 crores. The cricketer-turned-commentator also believes that Abhishek Nayar was the one responsible for the release of Russell, alleging that the new KKR coach wants to run his own team now.

Mohammad Kaif said:

“Andre Russell’s release is not right. You had him at 12 crore and that is not a big amount really for a player like him. He is once in a generation player. I think this was a big call. You can say he was not at his peak but I feel this is such a format, specially in the IPL, where experienced players do well and there are many examples. I feel the straight answer to his release is Abhishek Nayar. He wants to make his own team now. But this was an astonishing call.”

As per reports, the KKR franchise is likely to go bonkers in acquiring Australian all-rounder Cameron Green at the IPL 2026 auction next month. Responding to the reports, Mohammad Kaif made a huge claim saying that even four players like Green cannot match the impact of Russell in IPL cricket. He added:

“The quality and power that Russell has, even four players like Cameron Green cannot cover that. The way he plays, he can hit 100m sixes as per will and he has won them so many games from situations where the game seemed lost. He got that respect because of this ability. There are very few players like him at number seven. If you play Green at seven, he cannot score even half the runs of Russell, he bats up the order. I feel they should buy Russell back.”

With the auction fast approaching, KKR now face the challenge of proving if their bold overhaul can truly pay off. Whether they attempt to buy Andre Russell back or move ahead with a new blueprint, the franchise’s decision will remain one of the most debated calls of the season.