Andre Russell, the West Indies all-rounder, is gearing up to return to the national team for the upcoming T20I series against England, marking his first appearance since November 2024. After a stint in IPL 2025, Russell reflected on his career. He mentioned he has no regrets about his limited involvement in international cricket, particularly given his significant impact on franchise cricket.

The 37-year-old is among the few cricketers globally who have won over 10 T20 titles, including multiple IPL championships with Kolkata Knight Riders and triumphs in the T20 World Cup. However, despite his impressive achievements, Russell has only played a single Test for the West Indies and hasn’t been part of the 50-over team since 2019. Speaking to The Guardian, he explained that he does not look down on T20 cricket, stressing that the format holds equal importance to any international cricket assignment.

Earlier, Virat Kohli spoke about Test cricket and why the red-ball cricket is more important than the T20 format. “This moment (winning IPL title) ranks among the top in my career, but it still falls five levels below Test cricket. That’s how much I value and love Test cricket. I encourage young players to treat that format with respect,” he said following RCB’s victory over PBKS in the final in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.

In contrast, Russell shared a different perspective as a cricketer from the Caribbean. “When you’re from countries like India, Australia, or England, where Test players are well-supported, it’s a different scenario compared to the West Indies,” Russell said.

While Russell recognizes the importance of Test cricket, he mentioned that he wouldn’t trade any of his achievements in franchise cricket for enhanced red-ball status.

“In those countries, players receive generous central contracts to play Test cricket on the biggest stages, and of course, they’re eager to play. But for West Indians, even if you play 50 or 100 Tests, once you retire, there’s little to show for it.”

Russell explained, “I was pushed out of the Test squad. They saw me as more suited to white-ball cricket, which was the end.”