Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have reportedly appointed Abhishek Nayar as the team’s head coach, starting from the IPL 2026 season. According to The Indian Express, the franchise informed Nayar about the decision last week, and an official announcement will be made soon.

Nayar joined KKR in 2018 as the head of their new KKR Academy in Mumbai. He coached many young players there and built strong bonds with players like Rinku Singh and Varun Chakaravarthy, who still credit him for their growth.

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Abhishek Nayar’s Journey with KKR

Eventually, former Mumbai all-rounder Abhishek Nayar took up a role closer to the KKR team as the batting coach. He was part of the Chandrakant Pandit-led support staff that helped KKR win the IPL 2024 title, their third trophy. When franchise mentor Gautam Gambhir was appointed by the BCCI as the head coach of the Indian men’s team, he brought Nayar and fielding coach Ryan ten Doeschate with him as assistant coaches.

However, while Gambhir, ten Doeschate, and bowling coach Morne Morkel continued, Nayar was removed from the national team earlier this year after India’s big defeat in the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Sitanshu Kotak is now serving as India’s batting coach.

🚨 ABHISHEK NAYAR HAS BEEN APPOINTED AS THE HEAD COACH OF KKR 🚨 (Express Sports). pic.twitter.com/NpO7LFuD0M

— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh) October 26, 2025

KKR’s Struggles and Nayar’s Return

KKR brought Nayar back during the middle of the 2025 season, but he couldn’t turn things around. The team struggled after losing captain Shreyas Iyer, had a weak auction, and finished eighth with only five wins in 14 games.

Nayar is seen as a calm and understanding coach, unlike Pandit, who had a strict image as a domestic cricket legend. Although Nayar doesn’t have major coaching titles, he has worked closely with players like Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, and Dinesh Karthik, who have credited him for improving their careers.

How Nayar handles the bigger challenge as KKR’s head coach remains to be seen. Earlier this year, he was also appointed as the head coach of the WPL team UP Warriorz, and it’s not yet clear if he will continue in that role after taking charge of KKR.

The three-time champions of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Kolkata Knight Riders, are set to appoint the former Indian coach, Abhishek Nayar, as their head coach for the forthcoming 2026 season. The reports of the Indian Express revealed that Nayar was informed of the decision last week, as a formal announcement is expected to be made soon.

Nayar had joined the franchise last year as support staff after being removed from the assistant coach’s role for the Indian team. The former all-rounder of the Mumbai side worked with KKR and was their main man behind the scenes, taking full care of the grooming players in the academy. The franchise has parted ways with its former head coach, Chandrakanth Pandi.

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Kolkata had recently zeroed in on Nayar’s name as his replacement. KKR experienced an ordinary IPL 2025 as they failed to qualify for the playoffs, managing five wins from their 14 league games. The 42-year-old’s name coming as the new head coach isn’t surprising after his previous work with the franchise and their players for the past years.

Kolkata Knight Riders appoint Abhishek Nayar as head coach ahead of IPL 2026

Earlier this year, Nayar took up the role of the head coach of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) franchise, UP Warriorz, and it will now be interesting to see if he continues to hold the role of the head coach of two different sides in two separate leagues of the game.

Is there any chance of Nayar somehow forcing Rohit Sharma in KKR, as the Nagpur-born also love playing at the Eden Gardens, while the franchise needs a captain after the poor show from their previous season’s leader, Ajinkya Rahane? There are discussions of the 2024 champions going after one of Ishan Kishan or KL Rahul to make them part of the side.

Even though Nayar had a successful stint with the franchises, he couldn’t repeat the same success with the national side. The batting group’s continued failures in Test cricket at home and away had put the spotlight on Nayar’s role, and after a review meeting, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) terminated the contract of its support staff.

The preparations for IPL 2026 are in full swing, and all ten teams are busy building their squads for the next season. Reports say the BCCI has set November 15 as the deadline for player retentions.

Right now, the trade window is still open, and according to recent reports, three teams Mumbai Indians (MI), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), and Rajasthan Royals (RR) are showing strong interest in Ishan Kishan, who is currently with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). The left-hander was bought by SRH for ₹11.25 crore in the IPL 2025 auction. A report from The Times of India mentioned that MI want to bring Ishan back, while KKR and RR are also keeping a close eye on him.

Why is Ishan Kishan in high demand?

Ishan is one of the most sought-after players because he can keep wickets and open the batting a combination many teams want. In the 2025 season, he scored 354 runs in 13 innings with an average of 35.40, proving his worth as a consistent performer. Every team wants a player who can give quick starts at the top.

Last season, Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton opened the innings for MI. But with Rohit turning 39 next year, the team is looking for a young Indian opener for the future. Rickelton has done well, but having someone like Ishan as a backup or long-term option makes perfect sense for MI.

The Rajasthan Royals may face a big change in their lineup, as reports suggest Sanju Samson might leave the team. If that happens, RR will need a quality Indian batter who can also take up wicketkeeping duties. Ishan fits that role perfectly and can add strength to their top order.

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The Kolkata Knight Riders are facing problems at the top of the order. Their current openers, Quinton de Kock and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, haven’t been in good form and also take up two overseas player spots. Signing Ishan would solve both issues he can open the innings and also free up an overseas slot for the team.

Kolkata Knight Rider's (KKR) interest in Sanju Samson was a heavily discussed topic a few days before, which may have slowed down gradually. It was learned that for Sanju Samson, Rajasthan Royals (RR) wished to trade multiple star players of KKR ahead of the new season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026).

Now, in a fresh claim on a social media platform, it is revealed against which KKR players RR was in the attempt to release Sanju Samson. According to reports, Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine were on the Rajasthan Royals' wishlist, which KKR perhaps did not agree to settle down with.

If the reports are to be believed, it makes sense why the multi-time IPL-winning franchise did not want to trade Samson for Varun or Sunil. It is further stated that the Rajasthan-based franchise is trying to bolster their spin bowling department; that's why they wanted to secure the services of those two prolific spinners. 

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KKR to release Varun Chakaravarthy ahead of IPL 2026?

After a season with Punjab Kings, Chakravarthy joined KKR during the IPL 2020-21 season. Since then, the spinner has been with the Purple Brigade, and over the years of hard work, he established himself as one of the most effective spinners in the limited-overs cricket. Last season, when KKR as a team struggled to perform on the field, Varun claimed 17 wickets in 13 matches at an economy rate of 7.66. He was successful against the Rajasthan Royals as well. 

If we now talk about Sunil Narine, he is one of the pillars of the KKR team. Since the 2012 edition of the IPL, he has been associated with the Kolkata Knight Riders. Outside India, the West Indian spinner contributed to other Knight Riders franchises as well. At the age of 37, it is unlikely to see Narine leaving KKR for another IPL franchise. 

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) has a long history with Caribbean cricketers. There are multiple cricketers, including Sunil Narine and Andre Russell, who are considered KKR legends and have been serving the franchise for multiple seasons. According to the latest claims, another renowned West Indian batter may join the Kolkata-based franchise. 

After a lackluster performance in IPL 2025, the former champion team is all set to go through a transition phase. From coaching setup to squad, multiple changes are expected in the team ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League season. As per the latest claims, Dwayne Bravo can take a big role in player selection. 

It is reported that T20I specialist Nicholas Pooran can join the multi-time IPL-winning franchise. Bravo can be a major factor behind this possible signing. Though, there is no official confirmation yet about the probable development. 

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Bravo can be the main catalyst behind this possible move

Dwayne Bravo joined KKR, ahead of IPL 2025, as the mentor, replacing Gautam Gambhir. Bravo's appointment did not prove fruitful for the team in the season, as KKR finished as the 8th team in the points table. In 14 matches, Knight Riders managed to win in only 5 games and suffered losses on 7 occasions. Mumbai Indians was the fourth team on the points table with 16 points, and KKR accumulated 12 points with a negative net run rate. 

Now if we talk about Pooran, he retired from the West Indies national team only to focus on T20 franchise leagues. He has been associated with the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) team Trinbago Knight Riders since the CPL 2022 season. Last season, the middle-order batter scored 426 runs in 13 matches at an average of 42.60. In IPL 2025, the swashbuckling batsman played for Lucknow Super Giants and scored 524 runs in 14 games. 

Kolkata Knight Riders is all set to announce their new head coach's name ahead of Indian Premier League 2026 (IPL 2026). After the resignation of Chandrakant Pandit, the place is now vacant. On Saturday evening (October 11, 2025), a new update about the appointment of KKR's new coach has emerged. 

IPL 2025 was a disappointing season for the former league champions. They entered into the season as the defending champion but failed miserably to protect their title. The Kolkata-based franchise was not able to qualify for the round of four; they crashed out of the tournament from the group stage because of their inconsistent performance on the field. 

In IPL 2025, the multi-time champion team concluded the campaign as the 8th team in the 10-team competition. In 14 matches, Knight Riders managed to win in only 5 games and suffered losses on 7 occasions. Mumbai Indians was the fourth team on the points table with 16 points, and KKR accumulated 12 points with a negative net run rate. 

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Who will be KKR's new coach for IPL 2026

After the disappointing season, the head coach of the team, Chandrakant Pandit, left the club, saying that he wants to explore new opportunities. From then, the head coach position in KKR is yet to be filled. 

According to the latest updates, Kolkata Knight Riders are expected to announce their new head coach in the last week of October or the first week of November ahead of Retentions. According to speculations, other than appointing someone new in the franchise, the management can trust a known face in the club. There are also some claims that Abhishek Nayar,who worked with the franchise for a long time and in various positions, can take the role. KKR became the champion last time with the combination of Gautam Gambhir and Abhishek Nayar in their coaching staff. 

Ravichandran Ashwin, a legendary spinner known for his sharp cricketing brain, has the potential to become an outstanding head coach in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket in December last year and also stepped away from IPL on August 27, completing the 2025 season with Chennai Super Kings (CSK). For years, he has been acknowledged for his performances on the field, as well as for having a thorough understanding of the game and solid tactical reasoning, which makes him larger than many modern-day cricketers.

Ashwin has consistently displayed his analytical side through interviews and through his popular YouTube channel, where he provides fans with a unique view of sports — showing his ability to dissect strategies, assess match situations, and innovate. For any IPL franchise looking to hire Ashwin as their head coach, players will surely benefit from the opportunity to learn some of his insights and development opportunities. With this in mind, CricTracker examines three franchises that could target Ashwin, the Madras-born cricketer, as their next head coach.

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3. Kolkata Knight Riders

While Ravichandran Ashwin has never donned the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) colors, he could be a credible candidate to replace former KKR head coach Chandrakant Pandit since the latter departed from the franchise post-IPL 2025. KKR, as a franchise, have always appreciated gifted spinners in their squad, and Ashwin's specialty could assist KKR with its existing spinners, while identifying and developing new talent in the long term. His strategic understanding and experience could enable spinners to perform consistently under pressure, an invaluable resource for KKR to leverage for its three-time champion team in the coming seasons.

For Ashwin, adapting to KKR would not pose significant challenges, especially given that he played alongside Varun Chakaravarthy at the Dindigul Dragons in the 2025 Tamil Nadu Premier League. KKR were IPL champions in 2024; however, there were missed opportunities during the mega-auction, which ultimately paid off. Ashwin's knowledge about players could help the franchise tactically address these weaknesses for IPL 2026 and perhaps once again help KKR challenge for the title.

2. Rajasthan Royals

Rahul Dravid was appointed as the head coach of Rajasthan Royals for IPL 2025, but the first-ever champions had a disappointing season and placed ninth overall. At the end of the season, the franchise had offered him a larger role within the team regarding restructuring for the following season. After receiving this, Dravid decided to step away from the role and subsequently relinquished the responsibilities of head coach, leaving the Royals with the task of obtaining a suitable replacement to lead the organization back to competitiveness in future IPL seasons.

Ravichandran Ashwin, who played with the Rajasthan Royals between 2022 and 2024, is certainly a prime candidate for the role. Given his experience and understanding of the team, he could provide valuable advice and support to young emerging players involved in the setup like Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Kumar Kartikeya, and Riyan Parag if they remain with the team for IPL 2026 and beyond. Ashwin can provide tactical thinking, leadership qualities, and additional knowledge for the Royals to help rejuvenate and build the team around, making him an ideal outcome for the responsibility of succeeding the T20 World Cup champion coach.

1.Chennai Super Kings

When Ashwin and IPL are mentioned in the same breath, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) come to the mind immediately. Ashwin was a big part of the franchise from 2009-2015 and he was pivotal in getting the franchise to back-to-back titles in 2010 and 2011. Ahead of IPL 2025, Ashwin returned to the "Men in Yellow" after being picked up for INR 9.75 crore, rekindling his association with the franchise where his IPL career blossomed. His history with the franchise would lend itself even more to a flexibility in a possible future leadership role. 

However, CSK has vanquished the last few seasons. Even though Stephen Fleming has been head coach of CSK since IPL 2, the franchise has not qualified to the playoffs the last two years and their first finishes dead last in the 2025 season. Rumors even suggest an overhaul of sorts may be based on recent seasons. If CSK parts ways with Fleming, Ashwin would be a logical candidate to engage as the head coach in new circumstances due to his solid understanding of not only the team and the management but also the culture of the CSK franchise.

India’s mystery spinner, Varun Chakravarthy, has become the new number one-ranked T20I bowler in the latest rankings of the International Cricket Council (ICC). He becomes just the third Indian bowler to top the ICC T20I bowling rankings, alongside Ravi Bishnoi and the premier pacer, Jasprit Bumrah. Varun has become a vital T20I member of the Blue Brigade in the last 12 months.

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) spinner picked up 17 wickets in the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League at an average of 22.52 and an economy rate of 7.66, as he has crossed the 15-wicket mark in every season from 2020/21 apart from 2022. Sri Lanka’s Nuwan Thusara has jumped six ranks to reach the sixth spot in the table after speical show in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025. 

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During the ongoing Asia Cup 2025 event, Chakravarthy picked up 1/3 during their opening clash against the United Arab Emirates before backing it up with an impressive haul of 1/24 in four overs against Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. New Zealand’s Jacob Duffy and the West Indies’ Akeal Hossein are in the second and third spots. 

Varun Chakravarthy becomes No. 1-ranked T20I bowler in latest ICC ranking

Pakistan’s duo Sufiyan Muqeem has risen four spots to the 11th rank, while the leg spinner, Abrar Ahmed, has gone up 11 places to the 16th spot. Their left-arm wrist spinner, Kuldeep Yadav, has risen a whopping 16 rungs to the 23rd position in the table. Abhishek Sharma has held his number one spot for T20I batting with a new career-high rating.

England’s Phil Salt is in the second spot, and Jos Buttler is at the third spot, while South Africa’s duo Dewald Brevis has gone up two places to the 11th. Aiden Markram has got the 30th rank in the table. India’s premier all-rounder, Hardik Pandya, remains at the top of the T20I all-rounders’ rankings.

Latest ICC Rankings for T20I bowlers-

Star Indian and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter Rinku Singh recently opened up about a very sentimental moment around his now-fiancée, Priya Saroj. The left-hander recalled how Priya started crying after his iconic knock against Gujarat Titans in the 2023 Indian Premier League, where he clobbered five sixes in a row to pull off a fantastic chase.

Rinku shared that until that match, Priya’s father had little knowledge of him or his cricket career. However, his match-winning performance changed everything. He noted how marriage prospects became easier after Priya’s father finally recognized his achievements.

“She (Priya) was crying on the phone. Saachi didi (Nitish Rana’s wife) told me she was emotional. It was such a big day; five sixes were hit, and people had started to know me. I was feeling that maybe things could become easier—about marriage and all that. At that time, her father didn't know who Rinku Singh was. He didn't know anything. He had no interest in cricket. Yes. He didn't have that much of an idea,” Rinku recalled in a chat on Raj Shamani’s YouTube channel.

“Overnight Everything Changed”—Rinku on Life After the Knock

Rinku said the scale of that innings made it a defining moment, not just for his cricketing career but in his personal life too. The performance earned him global recognition and completely transformed his public image.

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“That moment for me was life-changing. All the hard work I had done in my life, I got the reward in that match. My followers, Instagram followers, started increasing, and recognition came; from there, everything changed. Overnight everything changed. Name, followers, everything was given by the One above that day,” he said.

Currently, Rinku Singh is part of India’s 15-member squad for the Asia Cup 2025, with a growing reputation as a game-changer in the death overs. Having spent seven seasons with KKR, the left-hander has become one of the most reliable finishers in modern T20 cricket.

When Rishabh Pant got injured and was ruled out of the Indian squad for the fifth and final Test of the series against England at the Kennington Oval in South London, the BCCI called Narayan Jagadeesan into the squad, which reflects how the right-handed batter is in the frame to get selected in the squad for the national side’s red-ball format.

Jagadeesan has been a vital member of the Tamil Nadu side in the red-ball events. The 29-year-old has smashed 3373 runs in 79 innings of first-class cricket at an average of 47.50 and a strike rate of 62.40, with the help of 14 half-centuries and 10 centuries at the best score of 321 runs. He must be knocking the door of India's selectors. 

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Jagadeesan, during the semifinal fixture of the Duleep Trophy 2025 between the South Zone and the North Zone side at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground in Bengaluru, celebrated his fine 11th century in first-class cricket. When the score was last updated, he remained unbeaten on 110 runs in 199 balls, thanks to 10 boundaries and two sixes.

Narayan Jagadeesan celebrates century during Duleep Trophy 2025 semifinal

The 103-run opening stand between the TN batter and Tanmay Agarwal was excellent for South Zone to get a good start in the batting department as they negotiated the new ball bowling of Auqib Nabi and Anshul Kamboj. Tanmay also smacked 43 runs in 99 balls at a strike rate of 43, while the number three batter of the side, Devdutt Padikkal, bagged 57 runs in 71 balls at a strike rate of over 80.

Jagadeesan had a wonderful 2024/25 season in the Ranji Trophy as he finished as the 11th leading run-getter with 674 runs in eight games at an average of 56.16 and a strike rate of 60.94, thanks to five half-centuries and two centuries at the best score of unbeaten 118 runs.

Jagadeesan, with this best batting performance, can get into the Indian side for the upcoming four Tests against West Indies and South Africa at home. If he doesn’t, Tamil Nadu will hope to see the batter adding truckloads of runs by the end of the red-ball season.