Kolkata Knight Riders are building their coaching team for IPL 2026 after a disappointing season. KKR finished in eighth place last year despite winning the trophy in 2024. Now they’ve made some big coaching changes to bounce back stronger.
Shane Watson Joins KKR
KKR announced Shane Watson as their new assistant coach on November 13. The Australian legend brings massive T20 experience to the Kolkata Knight Riders now. Watson will work directly under Abhishek Nayar for IPL 2026.
Venky Mysore, the Knight Riders CEO, is super excited about this appointment. He believes Watson understands T20 cricket better than most coaches around. His job includes improving team culture and player performances significantly.
Watson retired from playing and moved into coaching roles smoothly. He worked in the same role for the Delhi Capitals before this job. He also coached the San Francisco Unicorns in Major League Cricket successfully. His coaching resume looks pretty impressive for someone relatively new.
Abhishek Nayar Gets Promoted to Head Coach Role
Abhishek Nayar takes charge as head coach of Kolkata Knight Riders finally. This marks a big promotion from his assistant position last season. He worked under Chandrakant Pandit during the last title-winning campaign in IPL 2024.
Nayar spent time with Team India as Gautam Gambhir’s assistant recently. Knight Riders brought him back after recognizing his coaching abilities clearly. He knows the franchise inside out after years of association.
This big role will suit Nayar perfectly for leading KKR in IPL 2026.
Bowling Coach Position Still Empty at KKR
KKR hasn’t announced their bowling coach yet for the next season surprisingly. Bharat Arun was their previous man until recently this year. He left the Knights and joined the Lucknow Super Giants.
Carl Crowe handled spin bowling duties for the Knight Riders earlier. He also moved to LSG alongside Arun unfortunately for the previous team. Both coaches leaving together creates a gap in the coaching staff.
Knight Riders must hire someone soon before IPL 2026 preparations begin properly.
