KKR Appoints Abhishek Nayar Head Coach Replacing Chandrakant Pandit for IPL 2026

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have appointed Abhishek Nayar as their new head coach for the IPL 2026 season, replacing Chandrakant Pandit who led the team to their championship win in 2024 but parted ways after a disappointing 2025 season. Nayar, aged 42, has been with KKR's support staff for several years and is known for his modern, player-centric coaching style, having worked with prominent Indian cricketers like KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, and Rohit Sharma. His holistic approach and success in nurturing young talent such as Rinku Singh and Harshit Rana position him to lead KKR towards a new direction following their recent underperformance. He will join existing staff, including mentor Dwayne Bravo, as the franchise also seeks a replacement for their former bowling coach Bharat Arun. The appointment marks a continuation of KKR's preference for Indian coaches and reflects their commitment to leveraging internal talent and progressive coaching methods. This coaching change is seen as a pivotal step as the franchise prepares for the upcoming season and the player retention deadline.