West Indies All-Rounder Andre Russell Announces Retirement

The West Indies star all-rounder Andre Russell has retired from international cricket. He will be playing his last two T20 matches for the West Indies, which are part of the ongoing five-match series against Australia. Both these matches will be held at Sabina Park Stadium in Jamaica, which is also Russell's home ground. The West Indies Cricket Board shared the news of his retirement through an emotional post.

Russell said,

"I cannot express in words what playing for the West Indies means to me. In my childhood, I never thought that I would be able to reach such a high level. But when I started playing, I gradually understood that if I work hard, I can achieve a lot. This thought kept me going."

Further, he said,

"I always loved playing for the West Indies, especially at home, in front of family and friends. I want my international career to end on a good note, and I can become a role model for the new generation."

Since 2019, Russell has been playing for the West Indies only in the T20 format. He played 84 matches in his T20I career, in which he scored 1,078 runs. His strike rate was 163.08, and he scored half-centuries thrice. He also took 61 wickets in bowling, with his best performance being 3/19.

His retirement has come at a time when the 2026 T20 World Cup is going to be held in India and Sri Lanka. Earlier, Nicholas Pooran also retired from international cricket.

Russell has played only one Test match and 56 ODIs. In ODIs, he has scored 1,034 runs and taken 70 wickets. His best score has been 92*, and his best bowling performance of 4/35 has been.

Russell wasa part of the West Indies' T20 World Cup victory in 2012 and 2016.

His record in T20 leagues has been excellent. He has scored 9,316 runs in 561 T20 matches, which includes two centuries and 33 half-centuries. His best score has been 121*. He has also taken 485 wickets in bowling, in which 5/15 has been his best performance.

Recently, Russell played for the Los Angeles Knight Riders (LAKR) in the Major Cricket League (MLC), which is held in America. He scored 126 runs and took 10 wickets in 9 matches. However, his team could not reach the playoffs and remained at the bottom of the points table.