Preparing for the next season of Indian Premier League (IPL) ongoing, with a major coaching announcement looming Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Camp. While teams are preparing for the deadline to retain players next month, KKR has made a key appointment to lead their franchise for the upcoming season.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) appointed new head coach for IPL 2026
KKR franchise has officially appointed Abhishek Nair as its new head coach, filling the vacancy left earlier this year. Nair’s place Chandrakant PanditWho served as the head coach for three seasons, including the franchise’s “championship-winning year 2024”. Pandit and the franchise parted ways earlier this year, prompting KKR to start looking for a replacement.
Nair’s appointment reflects the franchise’s commitment to the recent trend of handing over the role to Indian coaches. Nair, 42, is highly respected by the KKR management, having been part of the support staff for five years, except for the 2025 season due to his commitments with the Indian team. The franchise is set to benefit from his holistic, player-centric philosophy and cutting-edge coaching style. Nair will begin his tenure working alongside a number of existing support staff members, notably Mentor dwayne bravo,
A new morning is before us 💜☀ pic.twitter.com/hQZLFSuaCm
– KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) 30 October 2025
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Impact and way forward for the 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League
Nair is known for his contemporary and progressive coaching methods, which have earned him immense respect among top cricketers. His reputation is built on successfully working with many Indian players with remarkably successful results. Among the high-profile individuals who have trained under his guidance are KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer And most importantly, Rohit Sharma,
With Nair taking over the leadership, the franchise will also have to address another big vacancy: that of former bowling coach, Bharat ArunWho parted ways with the franchise earlier this year to pursue the role Lucknow SupergiantsKKR are currently in the process of finalizing a suitable replacement for Arun, indicating a two-pronged approach to restructuring their leadership team ahead of the upcoming IPL season.
Also read: IPL 2026 trade war heats up: CSK, KKR and RR battle for KL Rahul’s signature