Andre Russell's KKR release incorrect move, even 4 players like Cameron Green can't cover it: Former IPL champion

Mohammad Kaif, who was part of the Rajasthan Royals side which won the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008, expressed his disbelief after Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) released Andre Russell ahead of next month's mini-auction in Abu Dhabi.

The talismanic all-rounder joined KKR in 2014 and went on to win two titles with the franchise. Over the years, he snatched several victories for the Knights from the jaws of defeat. His all-round contributions also earned him the MVP (Most Valuable Player) award a couple of times.

He was retained ahead of the IPL 2025 mega-auction for INR 12 crore. However, he could not repay the faith shown in his abilities by the franchise, as he scored just 167 runs at an average of 18.56 and picked up eight wickets at an economy rate of 11.94 from 13 matches.

While Kaif admitted that Russell's form wasn't satisfactory, he feels that INR 12 crore wasn't too much for someone of the Caribbean all-rounder's calibre. The former India batter also believes that newly-appointed head coach Abhishek Nayar could have had a role to play behind Russell's snub.

"Russell's release is not right. You had him at Rs 12 crore, and that is not a big amount really for a player like him. He is a once-in-a-generation player. Yes, he was out of form, but later on he scored runs too. But as coaches change, they bring some changes. I think this was a big call. You can say he was not at his peak, but I feel this is such a format, especially in the IPL, where experienced players do well, and there are many examples. I feel the straight answer to his release is Abhishek Nayar. He wants to make his own team now. But this was an astonishing call," Kaif said on his YouTube channel.

The quality and power that Russell has, even four players like Cameron Green cannot cover that: Kaif

Kaif stated that even four players like Cameron Green cannot match the quality and power that Russell has. The Australian all-rounder is expected to be in high demand at the mini-auction. KKR, who have the highest purse heading into the event, will be the favourites to sign the 26-year-old if they feel his services can bolster their team.

"The quality and power that Russell has, even four players like Cameron Green cannot cover that. The way he plays, he can hit 100m sixes at will and he has won them so many games from situations where the game seemed lost. He got that respect because of this ability. There are very few players like him at number seven. If you play Green at seven, he cannot score even half the runs of Russell - he bats up the order. I feel they should buy Russell back," added Kaif.