Andre Russell and Jacques Kallis are two of the greatest all-rounders to have played in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Incidentally, both of them played for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

Kallis started his IPL career at Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) before joining KKR ahead of the 2011 season. He went on to play 56 matches for KKR, putting in significant performances with both bat and ball. The South African all-rounder was also a part of the leadership group at KKR, sharing valuable inputs with the then-captain Gautam Gambhir as well as the team management.

Kallis was instrumental in KKR's triumph in 2012. In the final against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Kallis dismissed Michael Hussey and also scored an important 69 off 49 balls. 2014 was his last season in the IPL. He did not have a great time with the bat and ball, and like the true team man that he is, the Pinelands-born requested the management to drop him from the side.

Kallis finished with 1,295 runs from 56 matches at an average of 26.42 for KKR. The 50-year-old also scored seven half-centuries. With the ball, Kallis bagged 42 wickets at an average of 27.5 and an economy rate of 7.54.

After retiring as a player, Kallis maintained a warm relationship with the KKR management, serving as a mentor-cum-batting consultant in 2015 before taking over as head coach from 2016 and continuing until 2019. During his coaching tenure, the Knights made three consecutive appearances in the playoffs. So, KKR remained associated with KKR from 2011 to 2019, as both a player and then a vital member of the support staff.

On the other hand, Andre Russell joined KKR ahead of the 2014 season of the IPL. He won the IPL in his maiden season with the franchise. However, in the presence of more experienced all-rounders like Kallis and Ryan ten Doeschate, Russell didn't get too many games.

However, in IPL 2015, Russell made his presence felt, producing stunning performances with bat and ball. He was named Most Valuable Player of the season. The Jamaican all-rounder had another prolific season in 2019. He scored more than 500 runs for the first time in an IPL season. Russell also bagged 11 wickets with the ball in 14 matches.

Over the next few seasons, Russell scored 300-plus runs only in 2022. This was also one of his best seasons with the ball, as he accounted for 17 wickets.

Russell played a key role when KKR lifted the coveted IPL title for the third time in 2024. While he had some decent outings with the bat, he was the epitome of consistency with his bowling exploits. In 15 matches, he took 19 wickets at an average of 15.53. This includes a brilliant spell of 3/19 in the final against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction, Russell was released by the franchise. In the previous year, he only managed 167 runs at an average of 18.56 and picked up just eight wickets. The 37-year-old could have been a hot pick at the mini-auction, but he said he couldn't imagine himself playing in any other jersey than KKR's. Russell announced his retirement from the IPL and joined the Knights as their Power Coach.

While both Kallis and Russell had significant contributions for the Knights, the latter will always be remembered for his insanely phenomenal outings in IPL 2015 and 2019. Can Russell earn more success as a member of KKR's support staff than Kallis? Only time will tell.