Follow UsKolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have confirmed that Abhishek Nayar has been appointed the franchise’s new head coach ahead of the 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Nayar has had a long-standing association with the franchise and he was part of the backroom staff when KKR lifted the title in 2024, for the first time in a decade. He was also part of the coaching staff in IPL 2025, where he re-joined the franchise after an enforced break due to being part of the Indian Men’s team’s coaching staff.
Now he’s been elevated to the role of the head coach, and he replaces Chandrakant Pandit, who was let go a few months back following a disappointing IPL 2025 season in which the Knight Riders finished 8th, collecting just 12 points in total.
KKR made the announcement on social media, with the caption: ‘A new dawn is upon us.’
The development means that Nayar will become the first individual to be head coach of both an IPL side and a WPL side at the same time. He is also the head coach of the UP Warriorz WPL side, and will be coaching the side come WPL 2026.
It remains to be seen whether KKR will now appoint a new captain. Ajinkya Rahane is the franchise captain, but following a poor season as both player and captain in IPL 2025, reports have suggested that the franchise could change the captain heading into IPL 2026.