Official! KKR appoint Abhishek Nayar as head coach for IPL 2026

Aashay Chopade

Abhishek Nayar for KKR (Source:@KKRiders/X.com)Abhishek Nayar for KKR (Source:@KKRiders/X.com)

Kolkata Knight Riders, the three-time IPL champions have announced Abhishek Nayar as their new head coach. The former Mumbai cricketer has replaced Chandrakant Pandit after the disappointing season for the franchise in 2025.

Abhishek Nayar has been part of the KKR setup as assistant coach for a long time and has been credited for grooming a lot of young players. He was also involved with the Indian team and is expected to take the franchise to a new direction after the lows of the previous season.

The KKR CEO, Venky Mysore, has welcomed the move and has applauded Abhishek Nayar for his contribution in developing players since 2018.

"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 are thrilled to see him take over as Head Coach and lead KKR into its next chapter", Venky Mysore on appointment of Abhishek Nayar.

Abhishek Nayar to work alongside Dwayne Bravo

Abhishek Nayar is now all set to work alongside Dwayne Bravo, who took over as mentor of the franchise before the 2025 season. However, KKR would now be on the lookout for a new bowling coach with Bharat Arun joining LSG for the next edition.

As of now, it has not been cleared whether he would be the head coach for only one season or will take the role for multiple seasons. KKR are likely to rebuild their team in the upcoming auction, and the presence of Abhishek Nayar, a coach with good knowledge of the Indian domestic circuit, could help their cause.