“The straight answer is Abhishek Nayar” – Mohammad Kaif’s huge claim on star all-rounder being released by KKR ahead of IPL 2026 Auction

Former batter Mohammad Kaif has made a bold claim regarding the release of star all-rounder Andre Russell by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. Kaif believes that the franchise’s decision to let go of Russell was a mistake.

Russell was retained by KKR for ₹12 crore before IPL 2025. In that season, he scored 167 runs in 10 innings at a strike rate of 163.72 and took eight wickets from nine matches. While his form may not have met expectations, Kaif emphasized the importance of having an experienced player like Russell in the IPL.

He suggested that the decision to release Russell was likely influenced by KKR’s new head coach, Abhishek Nayar. “Russell’s release is not right. You had him at 12 crore, and that is not a big amount for a player like him. He is once in a generation player. Yes, he was out of form, but later on he scored runs too. 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,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel.

He added, “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.”

With a massive purse of ₹64.3 crore this season, KKR is expected to pursue Australian all-rounder Cameron Green. However, Kaif argued that even players like Green cannot match Russell’s quality and power. He urged the franchise to consider buying the West Indian all-rounder back.

“The quality and power that Russell has, even four players like Green cannot cover that. The way he plays, he can hit 100-meter sixes at will, and he has won so many games from situations where the match seemed lost. He earned 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 because he bats higher up the order. I feel they should buy Russell back,” Kaif asserted.

### Andre Russell’s IPL Record

Overall, Russell has played 140 IPL matches, scoring 2,651 runs at a strike rate of 174.17 with 12 half-centuries. With the ball, he has taken 123 wickets, underlining his value as a formidable all-rounder.

### Mohammad Kaif on Venkatesh Iyer’s Release

Another notable release by KKR was that of Venkatesh Iyer, who was acquired for a hefty ₹23.75 crore. However, his performance fell short of expectations, scoring just 142 runs in 11 matches at a strike rate of 139.21.

Kaif agreed that releasing Iyer was the right call but reflected that the management’s decision to invest such a large amount in him was misguided. He emphasized that responsibility also lies with the coaches and management, not just the player.

“The call to release Venkatesh Iyer was right. He was never a 20-crore player. You increased his price, then you say he did not do well. We blame the player, but what about the management? We must question them too,” Kaif stated.

He further commented on the coaching staff, “You got Tom Moody in your staff who has done nothing in the recent past, but you tell a player that he did not do well and release him. If coaches are not doing well, what are their chances of a comeback? This is a grey area. Venkatesh Iyer’s call at a high price was wrong.”

### KKR’s Core Indian Players Retained

Kaif praised KKR for retaining the majority of their Indian players and maintaining a strong core. The franchise retained key players including Ajinkya Rahane, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Anukul Roy, Harshit Rana, Manish Pandey, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Umran Malik, Vaibhav Arora, and Varun Chakaravarthy.

He believes that with such a solid Indian core, KKR did not need to rely heavily on overseas players. Consequently, international players Anrich Nortje, Moeen Ali, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and Spencer Johnson were released.

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Stay tuned for more real-time updates on IPL 2025, including live scores, match schedules, points tables, results, and squad announcements featuring teams like CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, and PBKS.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/cricket/news-the-straight-answer-abhishek-nayar-mohammad-kaif-s-huge-claim-star-all-rounder-released-kkr-ahead-ipl-2026-auction

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