TL;DR
- Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) appointed Abhishek Nayar as head coach for IPL 2026 after a disappointing 8th place finish.
- Shane Watson joins KKR as assistant coach, bringing extensive T20 experience to support Abhishek Nayar.
- Tim Southee and Dwayne Bravo are also part of KKR's support staff for the upcoming IPL 2026 season.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) look for an upheaval ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, after a disappointing finish to last season, where they finished 8th on the table.
After Chandrakant Pandit parted ways with the franchise, having won the 2024 title with them, Abhishek Nayar was named as his replacement as a head coach.
Add AllSportsPeople as a preferred news source
Shane Watson and Tim Southee, two T20 stars, will join Nayar as they aim to win back the championship.
Here's a full list of KKR support staff for the upcoming 2026 season.
Shane Watson will be part of Abhishek Nayar's support team for KKR.
KKR CEO Venky Mysore revealed on Thursday, November 13, that Shane Watson, a former Australian all-rounder and several-time IPL champion, has been appointed as their new assistant coach.
He'll assist Abhishek Nayar and coach Dwayne Bravo, among others, in leading the Knight Riders to renewed success.
"We are thrilled to welcome Shane Watson to the KKR family. His experience as a player and coach at the highest level will add immense value to our team culture and preparation. His understanding of the T20 format is world-class, and we look forward to his contributions both on and off the field," said Venky Mysore.
Watson was previously a part of Ricky Ponting's support staff at the Delhi Capitals as well.
What is the composition of KKR's support team for the IPL 2025 season?
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | Abhishek Nayar |
| Assistant Coach | Shane Watson |
| Mentor | Dwayne Bravo |
| Bowling Coach | Tim Southee |
| Assistant Coach | Ottis Gibson |
| Physiotherapist | Prasanth Panchada |
| Assistant Physiotherapist | Abhishek Ashok Sawant |
| Massage Therapist | Subhajit Das |
| Strength and Conditioning Coach | Chris Donaldson |
| Assistant Strength & Conditioning | Sagar VM |
| Analyst | Nathan Leamon |
| Team Manager | Adrian Wayne Bentley |
RELATED LINKS:
- Virat Kohli IPL 2026 team, salary: Will the former India captain retire or look for a transfer?
- The deadline for IPL 2026 player retention is approaching. Teams must submit their lists of retained players before the mini auction takes place.
- IPL 2026 Auction: Date, Players List, Rules & Mini-Auction Preview
- All the latest cricket news
- All IPL-related news