KKR keep the faith in Abhishek Nayar, name him head coach for IPL 2026

Kolkata Knight Riders, three-time IPL champions, kept their faith in the old guard by naming Abhishek Nayar as the new head coach of the team for the 2026 season. Nayar succeeds Chandrakant Pandit following a below-par IPL 2025 campaign, when the 2024 champions slipped to eighth position in the final standings.

A former Mumbai allrounder who has been credited with the recent turnaround of Rohit Sharma in terms of bringing him back to shape, Nayar had been an integral part of the KKR setup for several years. During his tenure as assistant coach of KKR, he played a vital role in shaping the growth of several young talents, from Rinku Singh to the upcoming batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi.

In 2024, he was pulled out of the set-up after being selected to serve as the assistant coach of the Indian men’s national team under head coach Gautam Gambhir. However, his tenure with them was shortlived as Nayar rejoined the KKR squad during the 2025 season.

“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’re thrilled to see him take over as Head Coach and lead KKR into its next chapter,” said Venky Mysore, CEO, Kolkata Knight Riders.

Nayar's confirmation as head coach could be the first in a series of moves that the Shah Rukh Khan co-owned franchise is expected to bring about for a change of fortunes ahead of the auction later this. The buzz is KKR are also on the lookout for a new captain in place of Ajinkya Rahane.