Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the three-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions, will have a new head coach in the 2026 season as Chandrakant Pandit has decided to leave the franchise and look for “new opportunities.” Under Pandit, KKR won their third title in 2024, but finished 8th in the points table in 2025. With Pandit out of the race, Bharat Arun has also moved on and has been appointed as the bowling coach of the IPL franchise Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). The announcement was made on Thursday.

Nayar, who was removed from his role as KKR assistant coach in less than a year, has been appointed as the head coach of the Women's Premier League (WPL) team UP Warriorz on Friday. His appointment comes after UP Warriorz parted ways with Jon Lewis in June this year, after three seasons. That is why Shah Rukh Khan and his franchise are expected to appoint a new coaching staff for KKR soon, following a proper and well-planned selection process.

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Chandrakant Pandit Steps Down as KKR Head Coach

Pandit joined Kolkata Knight Riders in August 2022, after Brendon McCullum was appointed as the head coach of the England Men’s Test team. The former India wicketkeeper-batter led KKR to their third IPL title in 2024 under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer, ending a 10-year wait for the trophy.

“Mr. Chandrakant Pandit has decided to explore new opportunities and will not continue as Head Coach of Kolkata Knight Riders,” the franchise said in a statement on Tuesday (July 29).

Eoin Morgan Likely to Become New KKR Head Coach for IPL 2026

There are high chances that Eoin Morgan, the former KKR captain, will be named as the new head coach for IPL 2026. Morgan led KKR in IPL 2020 and 2021, winning 11 out of 24 matches. He is now the top contender to replace Chandrakant Pandit, who became only the second Indian coach after Ashish Nehra to win an IPL title.

Kolkata Knight Riders are likely to announce the new coaching staff in upcoming days.

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— Knight Club : KKR (@KnightClub_KKR) August 1, 2025

Bharat Arun Set to Join CSK; KKR Yet to Name Pandit’s Replacement

According to The Times of India, Bharat Arun will join Chennai Super Kings (CSK) as their bowling coach for IPL 2026. Arun had been part of the KKR setup since 2022 but has now left the franchise by mutual agreement. While KKR has officially confirmed the exit of head coach Chandrakant Pandit, they have not yet announced Arun’s departure.

Under Pandit, KKR won 22 out of 42 matches across three seasons, with 18 losses and 2 no-results. However, in the 2025 season, KKR had a poor run, finishing eighth in the league with only five wins out of 14 games. KKR is yet to announce a replacement for Pandit.