Former India batsman Mohammad Kaif made a striking claim regarding Andre Russell’s retirement ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. The star all-rounder decided to retire after being released by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) before the upcoming auction. Kaif suggested that Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were likely planning to bid for Russell at the auction.
With the all-rounder’s sudden retirement, Kaif believed that MS Dhoni and the CSK camp would have been the most disappointed.
“We are talking a lot about Green that teams will target him. If teams have just a few slots to fill and go all-out for a player, they might get a lot more than their worth. The franchises are not looking at money in such a scenario. He can go close to 25 crores as well.”
“I think Dhoni would have been the most upset now with Russell’s retirement. He and CSK. They had him in their plans. They were front-runners if KKR did not buy Russell back. I think he would have gone 99% to CSK,” he said on his YouTube channel.
Glenn Maxwell Exits IPL 2026 Auction
Interestingly, another prominent all-rounder, Glenn Maxwell, also withdrew from the IPL 2026 auction. Mohammad Kaif suggested that self-doubt might have influenced Maxwell’s surprising choice. Despite a disappointing season last year, Kaif felt that Maxwell would have definitely attracted a buyer in the upcoming auction.
“I think Maxwell had doubts about himself. Don’t keep Russell in the same category. Maxwell would not go unsold for sure. Maybe he thought he would keep going from one franchise to another and could not take that disrespect. Maxwell had more downs than ups in the IPL. I think he himself had less belief. But he would definitely get a buyer,” Mohammad Kaif added.
Glenn Maxwell has featured in 141 IPL games, accumulating 2,819 runs at an average of 23.88, with a strike rate of 155.14, including 18 fifties.
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