Abhishek Nayar is currently a part of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) support staff in his second stint with the franchise. This is his second stint with the franchise. He previously served as the assistant
coach, playing a key role in the franchise's triumph in the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Secunderabad-born subsequently joined the Indian team as the assistant coach to Gautam Gambhir. However, he was relieved of his duties in April 2025 after reviewing the team's dismal performance in the Border-Gavaskar series.
Nayar subsequently returned to KKR and had been working in unison with the likes of head coach Chandrakant Pandit and mentor Dwayne Bravo in the back-end of IPL 2025. However, in the upcoming edition of the cash-rich league, Nayar seems set to take up a new role.
KKR had been searching for a new head coach after Pandit relinquished the position earlier this year. According to The Indian Express, the three-time IPL-winning franchise informed Nayar last week that they want him to replace Pandit as the head coach. A formal announcement is expected to be made soon.
Nayar entered the KKR setup in 2018. He was given the responsibility of leading the KKR Academy in Mumbai. He established great camaraderie with KKR players Rinku Singh and Varun Chakaravarthy at the academy, helping them hone their skills. They still laud the contributions of Nayar in their careers.
Earlier this year, Nayar was appointed as the head coach of UP Warriorz in the Women's Premier League (WPL). It will be interesting to see whether he will have to leave that job to take up the head coach's role at KKR.
The Knights failed to defend their title in IPL 2025, finishing at No. 8 on the points table, with five wins and seven defeats from 14 matches. Two of their matches were washed out. They will look to bounce back strongly in the upcoming season, and Nayar could have a significant role to play in the resurgence.
