3 teams who should go all out for Andre Russell in IPL 2026 Auction ft. CSK

In a major development, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) released senior all-rounder Andre Russell from their squad ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. KKR released nine players ahead of the auction, while Mayank Markande was traded to Mumbai Indians (MI). Apart from Russell, the Kolkata franchise also released Venkatesh Iyer, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and Anrich Nortje, among others.

Russell represented KKR in 139 matches between 2014 and 2025, scoring 2,658 runs at an average of 28.58 and a strike rate of 175.09, with the aid of 13 half-centuries and a best of 88*. With the ball, he picked up 124 wickets at an average of 22.08 and an economy rate of 9.38, with one five-fer and two four-fers.

With KKR releasing Russell somewhat surprisingly, the 37-year-old now has the option of putting up his name for the IPL 2026 auction. In this feature, we look at three teams that could target Russell at the mini-auction.

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#1 Chennai Super Kings

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) traded two key all-rounders - Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran - to Rajasthan Royals (RR) in exchange for keeper-batter Sanju Samson ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. Looking at their squad following retentions, CSK have Shivam Dube and Jamie Overton, who can contribute with bat and ball. However, a quality all-rounder is definitely missing.

After confirming their releases and retentions, CSK have a purse of ₹43.40 crore, with nine slots left, four of them being overseas. They have enough money to target Russell for one of the overseas slots. The Chennai franchise can go aggressively after the West Indies star to fill the void in the team following the exits of Jadeja and Curran.

One strong reason why CSK could go all out for Russell at the IPL 2026 auction is the fact that age is not a deterrent for them when it comes to picking players. The legendary MS Dhoni is 44 and is all set to feature in another IPL season. Veteran South African Faf du Plessis was also a key part of the franchise for many seasons, while Shane Watson also ended his IPL career with CSK.

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#2 Kolkata Knight Riders

KKR may have released Russell ahead of the IPL 2026 auction, but there is a strong chance that they may buy him back at a lower price. The West Indies all-rounder was retained for ₹12 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 auction. However, since he was Player 1 in KKR's list of retentions last year, an amount of ₹18 crore has been added to the team's purse ahead of the auction.

KKR will go into the IPL 2026 mini-auction with a massive purse of ₹64.30 crore - the largest among all 10 franchises. Looking at their list of retained players ahead of the IPL 2026 auction, there is only Sunil Narine who can contribute significantly with both bat and ball. KKR definitely need someone like Russell in the team, which is why it was surprising that he was released.

At the same time, Kolkata have a large enough purse if they want to buy back the West Indies T20 star at their desired price for the next season. It would be really intriguing to observe how KKR tackle the Russell quandary at the IPL auction.

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#3 SunRisers Hyderabad

Barring veteran pacer Mohammad Shami, who has been traded to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) have retained the core of their squad for IPL 2026. SRH finished runners-up in 2024, but failed to qualify for the playoffs in the 2025 season.

Hyderabad's strength is undoubtedly their top-order, which can win games single-handedly on their day. Abhishek Sharma has been in scintillating form, while Travis Head is among the most dangerous T20 openers. As a duo, they can wreak havoc. It is equally true that SRH have issues in the middle and lower order.

Heinrich Klaasen has done a good job for the franchise, but Ishan Kishan, Aniket Verma and the others have blown hot and cold. Hyderabad thus could look at Russell as a finisher or a floater in the batting line-up, with his bowling skills a bonus. With a decent purse of ₹25.5 crore, SRH can target him at the auction.