KKR Eye Fresh Vision With Abhishek Nayar As Head Coach For 2026 Season
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have appointed Abhishek Nayar as the head coach of the franchise ahead of the 2026 edition of the IPL. Nayar, who has been associated with the franchise since 2018, has been elevated to the head coach role for the first time, replacing Chandrakant Pandit, a seasoned domestic coach, who was at the helm of the franchise for three seasons. Nayar returned franchise in the middle of the 2025 edition of the IPL, after being let go from the Indian support staff, led by head coach Gautam Gambhir.
"Abhishek has been a vital part of the Knight Riders setup since 2018, shaping our players both on and off the field. His understanding of the game and connection with players have been key to our growth. We're thrilled to see him take over as Head Coach and lead KKR into its next chapter," KKR CEO Venky Mysore said in a franchise statement.
Nayar, who has been openly acknowledged by the likes of Dinesh Karthik and KL Rahul to help them improve their white-ball game, was also appointed as the head coach by the WPL side UP Warriorz. Nayar joined KKR Academy as the head coach in 2018 and soon joined the team's support staff. Nayar has been involved with the side when Jacques Kallis was the head coach, who was later replaced by Brendon McCullum and Pandit.
Nayar was with the franchise as the assistant coach in 2024, alongside Pandit and Gambhir, who was the mentor when KKR won their third IPL title, with Shreyas Iyer as captain. Nayar also served as the head coach of the Knight Riders' satellite franchise in the CPL, Trinbago Knight Riders, in 2022.
The three-time champions are on the lookout for bowling coaches as well, with Bharat Arun and Carl Crowe parting ways with the franchise, having moved to the Lucknow Super Giants. Dwayne Bravo (mentor) and Ottis Gibson (assistant coach) had joined the franchise ahead of the 2025 edition of the IPL.
