Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar is set to take charge as the head coach of the three-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), in the 2026 season. On October 30, the franchise announced that the former Mumbai batter would replace Chandrakant Pandit, who completed his tenure after the IPL 2025 campaign.

Although this will be Nayar’s first stint as head coach of the franchise, he has been part of the KKR setup since 2018, working with players in the support staff and academy.

Now, as head coach, the 42-year-old faces a big challenge to revive the team after a poor IPL 2025 season, where KKR finished eighth on the points table with 12 points from 14 matches.

As the franchise begins a new chapter under Nayar’s leadership, here’s a look at three players KKR could sign based on his advice.

3 Players KKR Could Target on Abhishek Nayar’s Advice

1. Tanush Kotian

The first player on the list is Mumbai all-rounder Tanush Kotian. The 27-year-old has made a name for himself in red-ball cricket, having played 42 first-class matches. He has scored 2,120 runs at an average of 42.40, including 17 fifties and two hundreds. With the ball, the off-spinner has taken 125 wickets at an average of 27.36 and a strike rate of 48.6, including three five-wicket hauls.

In T20s, Tanush has played 33 matches, taking 33 wickets at an average of 20.03, a strike rate of 18.7, and an economy rate of 6.39, with best figures of 4/16. With the bat, he has scored 87 runs in seven innings. In the IPL, he made a single appearance for Rajasthan Royals (RR) in 2024, scoring 24 runs.

In the 2024–25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, during Mumbai’s title-winning campaign, Tanush picked up nine wickets in nine innings at an average of 20.00 and an economy rate of 7.44. His all-round skills and Mumbai connection could make him a good fit for Abhishek Nayar’s KKR setup.

2. Prithvi Shaw

Next is opening batter Prithvi Shaw, who went unsold in the 2025 IPL mega auction. The former Mumbai cricketer, now playing for Maharashtra, has faced ups and downs in his career and been part of a few controversies.

However, Shaw seems to be finding his form again. In the first two matches of the 2025–26 Ranji Trophy, he hit a fifty and a century for Maharashtra, including a brilliant 222 off 156 balls against Chandigarh.

Abhishek Nayar recently mentioned on a podcast that he would like to mentor Shaw and help him rebuild his career. With Nayar now KKR’s head coach, Shaw could be an ideal signing for the team.

3. Shivam Mavi

The last name is fast bowler Shivam Mavi from Uttar Pradesh. The 26-year-old went unsold in the 2025 IPL auction but was earlier part of KKR from 2018 to 2022. He played 32 matches for the franchise, taking 30 wickets at an average of 31.40 and an economy of 8.70.

In 2025, Mavi impressed in the UP T20 League while playing for Kashi Rudras, finishing as the top wicket-taker with 22 wickets in 10 matches, including two four-wicket hauls.

Given his recent form and previous experience with the team, Abhishek Nayar may consider bringing Mavi back to KKR for IPL 2026.