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KKR New Head Coach: Abhishek Nayar has officially been appointed as the new head coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of the IPL 2026. Nayar has replaced Chandrakant Pandit, who coached the side in three seasons.

The three-time IPL champions made an official announcement on Thursday, also posting a series of Nayar's picture on their social media handles. Pandit and the franchise parted ways earlier this year, following which KKR began the search for a new head coach. Nayar's appointment continues the franchise's recent practice of entrusting the role to an Indian coach.

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Nayar has been associated with KKR since 2018, and remained a crucial part of the support staff for five years. He created a promising culture within the setup on the back of his impressive relationship with the players. In the 2025 season, Nayar's involvement was limited due to his commitments with the Indian team. He was an assistant coach with the Indian team for a year and the franchise values his holistic, player-centric philosophy and cutting-edge coaching style.

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Notably, Nayar was part of the setup when KKR clinched their third IPL title in 2024 under the coaching of Chandrakant Pandit and the mentorship of Gautam Gambhir.

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Notably, Nayar has worked one-on-one with several India players with successful results. Among those who have trained under him are KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, and, most prominently, Rohit Sharma. Although not always given due credit, Rohit's recent remarkable performance on his comeback is widely believed to have stemmed from his individual sessions with Nayar. The former Indian captain has, on multiple occasions, acknowledged and thanked Nayar for his continous support.

The 42-year-old Nayar will now work alongside several members of the existing coaching group, including mentor Dwayne Bravo. Former bowling coach Bharat Arun parted ways with the franchise earlier this year, and KKR is currently in the process of finalising a suitable replacement. Arun has since taken up a role with the Lucknow Super Giants.

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