IPL 2026: Former Quetta Gladiators coach takes charge at Kolkata Knight Riders

Former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson has been appointed assistant coach of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of the IPL 2026 season.

He joins a revamped team management that includes Abhishek Nayar as head coach and Dwayne Bravo as mentor.

Watson and former New Zealand pacer Tim Southee are the latest additions to KKR’s coaching staff, which has been overhauled after the team finished seventh in IPL 2025.

Southee has been balancing his franchise cricket commitments with a consultancy role with England over the past six months.

“It’s a great honour to be part of a franchise as iconic as Kolkata Knight Riders,” Watson said in a statement released by KKR.

“I’ve always admired the passion of KKR fans and the team’s commitment to excellence. I’m eager to work closely with the coaching group and players to help bring another title to Kolkata.”

This marks Watson’s second coaching stint in the IPL, having previously served as deputy to head coach Ricky Ponting at Delhi Capitals during IPL 2022 and 2023.

Most recently, he completed a three-season tenure as head coach of San Francisco Unicorns in the MLC. 

Although KKR wanted him for a year-long assignment, Watson chose not to relinquish his broadcasting and other coaching commitments.

Watson, a celebrated T20 player turned commentator, has been part of title-winning teams in the IPL, BBL, and PSL.

He was named MVP during Rajasthan Royals’ championship-winning campaign in the inaugural IPL season in 2008 and concluded his IPL playing career with Chennai Super Kings, playing a pivotal role in their 2018 title run with 555 runs in 15 innings, including a century in the final.

He also represented Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2016 and 2017.

It is worth noting that Watson was also head coach of the PSL franchise Quetta Gladiators in the ninth edition of the tournament.

As a player, he featured in five PSL seasons for both Islamabad United and Quetta Gladiators, scoring 1,361 runs in 46 matches at a strike rate of 138.59, including nine half-centuries.

While Watson played 59 Tests for Australia, his impact was greatest in limited-overs cricket.

In 190 ODIs, he scored 5,757 runs at an average of 40.54 with a strike rate of 90.44, alongside 168 wickets at 31.79.

He was part of two World Cup-winning Australian teams in 2007 and 2015, and starred in the Champions Trophy finals of 2006 and 2009, earning Player-of-the-Match awards in both.

In T20Is, Watson amassed 1,462 runs at a strike rate of 145.32 and took 48 wickets at an economy rate of 7.65.

He was Player of the Series in the 2012 T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka, topping the run charts with 249 runs at a strike rate of 150, while finishing second in wickets with 11 scalps.