Abhishek Nayar has been appointed as the head coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of IPL 2026. A senior source in the franchise confirmed the decision, with an official announcement expected soon.
Nayar succeeds Chandrakant Pandit, who served as head coach for three seasons, including KKR’s championship-winning campaign in 2024. Following a disappointing IPL 2025, where KKR finished eighth with just five wins, Pandit and the franchise parted ways earlier this year. Nayar’s appointment continues KKR’s recent trend of naming Indian coaches to lead the team.
At 42, Nayar is highly regarded for his modern, player-focused coaching approach. He has been part of KKR’s support staff for five years, except during the 2025 season, when his role was limited due to commitments with the Indian national team. Nayar also spent a year as an assistant coach with India and is credited with helping several players, including KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, and Rohit Sharma, achieve notable improvements. Rohit Sharma, in particular, has publicly acknowledged Nayar’s influence on his recent form.
Nayar will collaborate with KKR’s existing coaching team, including mentor Dwayne Bravo. The franchise is currently searching for replacements for former bowling coach Bharat Arun, who joined Lucknow Super Giants, and spin consultant Carl Crowe.
Before taking on the KKR head coach role, Nayar led the Women’s Premier League side UP Warriorz and previously served as head coach of Trinbago Knight Riders in CPL 2022. He also coached the KKR academy from 2018 and has been part of the main team’s support staff in various capacities.
During his time with KKR, Nayar built a strong working relationship with former mentor Gautam Gambhir, joining him briefly as an assistant coach with India before returning to KKR ahead of IPL 2025.
The KKR management is expected to continue revamping the backroom staff in the coming months to strengthen the team ahead of the next season.
What started in 2018 comes full circle today! 🥺🙌 pic.twitter.com/PmnyDFqTGX
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) October 30, 2025