5 Players who took salary cuts during IPL 2022 retentions

5. Kolkata Knight Riders – Andre Russell- 4 Cr cut

There is a reason why all-rounders are always in demand in the shortest format of the game. Time and again, this gets proven by various teams when one individual takes away the game by performing in all departments. Therefore, some of the biggest names retained across franchises are unsurprisingly all-rounders, including KKR’s first retention, Andre Russell.

The game is never over until Russell is at the crease. Such is the kind of havoc he managed to create over the years in the IPL and the rest of the world. It began with almost stealing victory from the hands of CSK with his 54 off 22 to bagging a fifer vs Mumbai, he was everywhere for the Knight Riders this season, as he has been earlier. An impressive strike rate of 152.50 and a total of 11 wickets in his kitty made him no-brainer retention despite his injury at the business end of the tournament.

While KKR may have gone back home happy having signed the destructive all-rounder for just 12 crores, it’s surprising to see Russell take a whopping 4 crore cut when he would have surely been one of the hot picks in the mega auction.