There have been reports of some backdoor talks taking place between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), due to which the franchises have released players like Mathisha Pathirana and Andre Russell.
Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders have revealed their retained squads ahead of the mini-auction. KKR has the highest purse, followed by CSK.
They released some of their most experienced players before the next season. Chennai Super Kings have parted ways with experienced all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and KKR have parted ways with long-time key Andre Russell.
Andre Russell wanted to explore options outside KKR
Kolkata Knight Riders surprised everyone by turning out their prized all-round asset in the shortest format of the game. He parted ways with Kolkata Knight Riders kingpin Andre Russell, who has played almost his entire IPL career with the Knights.
The Caribbean talent has scored almost 10000 runs and taken almost 500 wickets in T20 global leagues around the world. Russell was KKR’s Most Valuable Player in multiple seasons in IPL 2015 and 2019 as well.
The release of Andre Russell from Kolkata Knight Riders added a huge amount of money to KKR’s purse. The player was retained for a huge sum of Rs 12 crore. His release has led to a huge increase in the purse by Rs 18 crore as he was retained in the first-class KKR team.
CSK-KKR back-door talks revealed
Chennai Super Kings was already in controversy over parting ways with experienced all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. The all-rounder’s 12-year-long stay with CSK came to an end when he was traded to Rajasthan Royals.
On the other hand, CSK released fast bowler Mathisha Pathirana, who was a true talent in the Men in Yellow camp. He developed into an excellent fast bowler and a unique talent with the white ball in the death overs.
According to RevSportz reporter, Rohit Juglan, Andre Russell decided to part ways with KKR as soon as he learned that he was being traded, and CSK reportedly approached him through the backdoor, resulting in them releasing their fast bowler Mathisha Pathirana.
According to Rohit Juglan – When Andre Russell came to know that the franchise wanted to trade him, he decided to part ways with KKR. Soon after, CSK reportedly approached him through backdoor talks, and releasing Pathirana was a strategic move to target Russell in the auction.#IPL pic.twitter.com/mIqv8ikB5i
– πΈππΈπ ππΈβπΎππ» (@iamajayjangirlr) 15 November 2025
Which teams can target Andre Russell in the mini-auction?
The experienced KKR all-rounder will be seen in the mini-auction for the first time, as he has been released ahead of the mini-auction. He will be targeted by many franchises who are looking for a big-hitter all-rounder.
Andre Russell could be beneficial for teams like Rajasthan Royals, who needed to finish the innings better, which led to their defeat last season. On the other hand, CSK also needed some big-hitting stars towards the end of the innings.
Finally, Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants also seemed like ideal franchises to acquire his services. The need for an all-rounder, especially one with a hitting arc like Russell’s, seems looming for all franchises.
ALSO READ: Temba Bavuma again insulted for his height by Indian legend on live TV
