Abhishek Nayar Appointed KKR Head Coach For IPL 2026: Report

Abhishek Nayar has also trained top players such as Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Rinku Singh, Dinesh Karthik, and Varun Chakravarthy, helping refine their games.

Abhishek Nayar has a long association with KKR, serving as assistant coach from 2018 to 2024.

Source : PTI

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have reportedly chosen Abhishek Nayar as their head coach starting from IPL 2026. According to The Indian Express, the franchise informed Nayar of their decision last week, with a formal announcement expected shortly.

After a disappointing IPL 2025 season, three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are making major changes, particularly in their coaching staff.

The franchise has parted ways with head coach Chandrakant Pandit and is now searching for a replacement, with Abhishek Nayar, a close associate of former Indian captain Rohit Sharma, emerging as a leading candidate.

Nayar has a long association with KKR, serving as assistant coach from 2018 to 2024. He also had a stint as head coach of Trinbago Knight Riders and briefly worked with Team India after IPL 2024, though he left following a challenging tour of Australia.

Abhishek Nayar has also trained top players such as Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Rinku Singh, Dinesh Karthik, and Varun Chakravarthy, helping refine their games.

Under his guidance, Rohit Sharma has shown improved fitness and performance post-IPL 2025, while Rahul has also been in good form since their training sessions.

Abhishek Nayar's brief international career

Abhishek Nayar had a brief international career, playing just three ODIs for India after debuting in 2009, with only a single batting innings.

However, his IPL career has been more substantial, featuring in 60 matches and scoring 672 runs. Recently, Nayar trained Rohit Sharma ahead of the Australia tour, helping the batter improve fitness and even lose 11 kg.

Chandrakant Pandit's legacy

Chandrakant Pandit, often regarded as the Dronacharya of Indian domestic cricket, led Vidarbha to back-to-back Ranji Trophy titles in 2018 and 2019 and repeated the feat with Madhya Pradesh in 2022.

Appointed KKR head coach in 2022, Pandit helped the franchise win the IPL after a decade. However, KKR struggled in IPL 2025, finishing eighth with just five wins in 14 matches, leading the team to part ways with him in July 2025.