England star all rounder good bye to IPL

Ahead of IPL 2026, Kolkata Knight Riders faced another unexpected twist as star all-rounder Moeen Ali announced his retirement from the tournament. This comes shortly after power-hitter Andre Russell also stepped away from the IPL, dealing a double blow to the franchise.

During the recent retention process, KKR released both Russell and Moeen Ali, which reportedly disappointed the English all-rounder. In IPL 2025, Moeen played only six matches, scoring just five runs and taking six wickets, leading the franchise to move on from him. KKR had earlier bought him for Rs. 2 crore in the mega auction.

Following his release, Moeen chose not to register for the upcoming IPL auction and instead confirmed his availability for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026 through an Instagram post. This marks his return to the tournament after five years, having last played for Multan Sultans in 2020.

KKR, meanwhile, has opted for a massive squad overhaul. Along with Moeen and Russell, the franchise has released several core players, including Venkatesh Iyer, who fetched a record Rs. 23.75 crore in the last auction. The team also let go of T20 specialists like Quinton de Kock, Spencer Johnson, Anrich Nortje, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz. The management is expected to rebuild the squad with a fresh strategy for the next season.