Abhishek Nayar named KKR head coach for 2026 IPL

Abhishek Nayar has been appointed head coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of the 2026 Indian Premier League, the franchise announced on Thursday, replacing Chandrakant Pandit. The move completes a search that began after Pandit stepped away from the role earlier this year following three seasons in charge, including KKR’s 2024 title win.

KKR finished eighth in the 2025 IPL, registering five wins, seven losses and two washouts, and missed the playoffs. The club has said it expects the new coaching appointment to play a central part in preparing the squad for the upcoming retention deadline and the IPL mini auction as it seeks to recover league form.

Nayar, 42, returns to the head-coach role after several stints with KKR. He served as an assistant coach during the franchise’s 2024 championship run, rejoined the support staff for the 2025 season and will now take the lead alongside mentor Dwayne Bravo and other existing staff. The club shared a photograph announcing the appointment on its social media accounts with the caption, "A new dawn is upon us."

Nayar’s coaching résumé also includes a period on India’s support staff as assistant to head coach Gautam Gambhir; he was...