Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) co-owner Shah Rukh Khan paid a witty and touching tribute to gun all-rounder Andre Russell, who announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Sunday, November 30. Taking to his official X handle, the Bollywood superstar stated that any other jersey would look weird on the hard-hitter and referred to him as their 'Knight in shining armour'.Russell was shockingly released by the three-time champions ahead of the IPL 2026 auction, scheduled for December 15, in Abu Dhabi. Although the veteran all-rounder had a forgettable 2025 season, he had delivered consistent all-round performances over the years. He also won the Most Valuable Player of the season award in the 2015 and 2019 editions.The 60-year-old Bollywood actor took to X, stating how ecstatic he was to have the seam-bowling all-rounder in their ranks as the power coach. Retweeting Russell's tweet, Shah Rukh wrote:"Thank you for the wonderful memories, Andre. Our Knight in shining armour!!! Your contribution to @KKRiders is one for the books… 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!!"KKR will look to have a good auction and deliver an even better on-field performance after failing to reach the playoffs last year. Andre Russell is Kolkata Knight Riders' second-highest run-getterAndre Russell. (Image Credits: Getty)Having joined the Knight Riders in 2014, the veteran West Indies all-rounder is the franchise's second-highest run-getter. In 139 games, he has mustered 2658 runs with 13 half-centuries alongside a strike rate of 175.09. He is also currently the second-highest wicket-taker for them with 124 scalps.With no Russell in their ranks, the Kolkata-based franchise will have a gaping hole to fill in their team. Nevertheless, they will enter the auction with the largest purse of all teams with ₹64.30 crore.