Shah Rukh Khan pens beautiful tribute to ‘knight in shining armour’ Andre Russell after he announces IPL retirement

Two weeks before the mini-auction for the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL), West Indies cricketer Andre Russell announced his retirement from the tournament. Kolkata Knight Riders owner, Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, penned a moving tribute for the cricketer as he transitions into a new role with the team.

Shah Rukh Khan on ‘knight in shining armour’ 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!!”

Andre mentioned in his video that he had numerous conversations with CEO Venky Mysore and Shah Rukh before stepping into this new role. This comes days after he was released by KKR after a noticeable dip in his numbers in recent seasons. However, he remains one of the most impactful players of the IPL.

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.