IPL 2026: KKR appoints Abhishek Nayar as head coach: Big news has emerged regarding the three-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champion team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The team management has appointed former Indian cricketer Abhishek Nayar as head coach for the upcoming IPL 2026 season. Nair will replace former head coach Chandrakant Pandit, who recently decided to part ways with the franchise.
Abhishek Nayar to replace Chandrakant Pandit
Abhishek Nayar has been part of KKR’s management setup for some time. He will replace Chandrakant Pandit in the KKR team. Nair has had a long and successful association with KKR.
The journey from assistant coach to head coach
Nair previously worked as an assistant coach with KKR and played a key role in the team’s IPL 2024 victory. Following this, he was also associated with the Indian team, however, after a disappointing performance in the Border-Gavaskar series last year, the BCCI relieved him from this role.
Subsequently, he returned to the KKR management setup and worked closely with head coach Chandrakant Pandit and mentor Dwayne Bravo. KKR has taken a major and significant step by appointing Abhishek Nayar as head coach ahead of the upcoming IPL 2026 season.
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Abhishek Nayar’s journey with KKR
Nair’s association with KKR began in 2018.
- Starting in 2018: He first took charge of the KKR Academy in Mumbai and helped nurture young players.
- Talent Identification: Nair played a key role in recruiting players like Varun Chakravarthy and Rinku Singh.
- Rise of Match Winners: These players later emerged as some of KKR’s biggest match-winners, demonstrating the importance of their contributions to the franchise.
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