Three-time IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have announced they will retire the No.12 jersey ahead of the upcoming season. This decision honors former West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell, who wore this number during his time with KKR from 2014 until his retirement in 2025.
Retiring jersey numbers is not new in IPL history. In 2023, Royal Challengers Bengaluru retired numbers 17 and 333 to celebrate AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle. Now, KKR is following a similar tradition by retiring No.12, which Russell made famous during his time with the team.
Russell joined KKR in 2014 after playing for Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in 2012 and 2013. It was with KKR that he became a key player, helping the team win two IPL titles in 2014 and 2024. He played 133 matches for KKR, scoring 2539 runs and taking 122 wickets.
During his time with KKR, Russell was known for his aggressive style of play. His best season with the bat came in 2019 when he scored 510 runs, and his standout bowling performance was in 2022 when he took 17 wickets.
KKR CEO Venky Mysore shared that Russell has been a significant part of the team’s history. “Andre has been an incredible player for us, both on and off the field. The number 12 is uniquely associated with him, so we decided to retire it as a fitting tribute.”
Russell also expressed his emotions about the gesture. He said, “It’s been over a decade of amazing achievements with this franchise, and I felt emotional watching the video. Being part of two championship-winning teams with KKR has been an incredible journey.”
Despite challenges like injuries to players Harshit Rana and Akash Deep, and Matheesha Pathirana being unavailable until mid-April, KKR remains a strong favorite for IPL 2026. They will start their campaign against Mumbai Indians on March 29 at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.