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Key Points

Abhishek Nayar has rejoined Kolkata Knight Riders after being let go by the BCCI following India's disappointing Border-Gavaskar Trophy performance. The BCCI reportedly disapproved of the 'KKR influence' in the national team's coaching setup. Nayar previously helped KKR win the 2024 IPL under Gambhir and Iyer's leadership. KKR currently sits mid-table in this year's IPL after inconsistent performances.

Key Points: Abhishek Nayar Returns to KKR After India Coaching Exit

  • Nayar returns to KKR after BCCI removed him post India's 3-1 loss to Australia
  • BCCI unhappy with 'KKR touch' in team management
  • Nayar previously worked with Gambhir, Iyer in KKR's 2024 IPL win
  • KKR currently sixth in IPL standings after shaky campaign
2 min read

Abhishek Nayar returns to KKR coaching staff following removal as India's assistant coach

Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar rejoins KKR following BCCI removal after Border-Gavaskar Trophy defeat.

"Welcome back home, @abhisheknayar1 – KKR on X"

Kolkata, April 19

Former Indian cricketer Abhishek Nayar has returned to the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) coaching set-up, announced the defending Indian Premier League (IPL) champions on Saturday.

KKR made the announcement on X.

In a post on X, KKR wrote, "Welcome back home, @abhisheknayar1"

https://x.com/KKRiders/status/1913559286132637967

Following a disappointing performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 against Australia, India decided to remove assistant coach Abhishek Nayar and fielding coach T Dilip.

BCCI sources informed ANI that assistant Batting coach Abhishek Naiyyar, fielding coach T Dilip, and Strength and Conditioning coach Soham Desai have been removed following India's poor performance in the BGT series and alleged dressing room leaks.

India suffered a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, losing the opportunity to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) Final at Lord's.

India began the series with a historic win in Perth but failed to sustain its momentum and lost the series 1-3.

Nayar's role was scrutinised as the Board was not happy with the apparent 'Kolkata Knight Riders touch' in the team management.

Nayar and former Netherlands star Ryan Ten Doeschate joined Team India's support staff as assistant coaches during the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka last year. Nayar and Doeschate were also assistant coaches at KKR and worked with Gambhir and won the 2024 IPL title with him and captain Shreyas Iyer.

Currently, KKR is placed at number six in the points table halfway through their campaign, with three wins and four losses. Their previous match was a shambolic loss to Punjab Kings (PBKS) in which they were skittled out for 95 runs while chasing a target of 112 runs. Their next game will be against the Gujarat Titans (GT) at Eden Gardens on Monday.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rahul K.
Great to see Nayar back with KKR! He was instrumental in their last IPL win. Hope he can bring back that winning energy to the team. 💜 #KKR
P
Priya M.
Interesting move. I wonder if this means KKR is planning some major strategy changes mid-season? Their batting has been inconsistent so far.
S
Sanjay T.
While I'm happy for Nayar, I think BCCI was too harsh removing him after one bad series. Team India's problems run much deeper than just coaching staff.
A
Anjali R.
KKR really needs this boost! That 95 all out against PBKS was embarrassing 😳 Hope Nayar can fix their batting woes quickly!
V
Vikram D.
Respectful criticism: I'm not sure if bringing back the same coaching staff is the solution. KKR needs fresh ideas to turn around their season.
N
Neha P.
The whole "KKR touch" criticism seems unfair. Many IPL coaches work with national teams now. This is just BCCI looking for scapegoats after a bad series.

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