Abhishek Nayar joins KKR's support staff

Abhishek Nayar has been appointed to Kolkata Knight Riders' coaching staff, just one day after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) terminated his contract as assistant coach of the national men's team.

The franchise confirmed the development in a statement on Saturday, sharing that the former all-rounder is likely to join the defending champions' squad in their training session for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 match against Gujarat Titans, scheduled to be played on Monday.

"Abhishek Nayar has rejoined our support staff. He will be at training with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)," the franchise said in a statement.

Notably, Nayar's appointment comes before an official announcement by the BCCI regarding his departure from the national setup.

The former India and Mumbai all-rounder, whose expertise is highly prized by KKR's management, was previously responsible for overseeing the franchise's academy.

He now becomes part of a distinguished coaching team that includes head coach Chandrakant Pandit, bowling coach Bharat Arun and mentor Dwayne Bravo, among other support staff members.

He had previously worked with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), guiding the franchise to their third IPL title in 2024 — their first in a decade.

For the unversed, the BCCI, on Thursday, terminated Nayar's contract less than a year after his appointment in July last year.

Nayar became the first major casualty of the BCCI’s comprehensive review following India’s disappointing performance in Test cricket towards the end of the previous year.

This slump included a 3-0 whitewash at home against New Zealand and a 3-1 series defeat to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

In the aftermath of the Australia tour, the BCCI convened a high-level review meeting in Mumbai, attended by head coach Gautam Gambhir, Test and ODI captain Rohit Sharma, chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar, and its secretary Devajit Saikia.