Abhishek Nayar Returns to KKR Support Staff Following BCCI Exit

Abhishek Nayar returned to Kolkata Knight Riders' support staff following news that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decided against renewing his contract as assistant coach of the national team. This return happened on April 19, 2025, a day after news about his exit from the national setup emerged. Nayar's return to KKR is interesting timing since it was before the BCCI had actually announced his departure from the national team.

Rejoining the Knight Riders by Nayar appears as a natural follow-up to leaving the Indian national team. A release issued by KKR stated Nayar would also be part of the team's training sessions at Eden Gardens. His connection with the Knight Riders is robust, and he has been integral to the franchise in diverse roles across the years. Prior to his stint with the national team, Nayar was associated with KKR intensively, even operating the KKR Academy. His comeback to the franchise was anticipated, with news indicating that KKR's management always appreciated his input.

As his deputy in his previous role with the Indian team, Nayar worked under head coach Gautam Gambhir. He held this role for almost 10 months before the BCCI decided to change its support staff. It is learnt that the BCCI had decided not to offer extension of contracts for a number of the support staff members, such as Nayar, fielding coach T Dilip, and strength and conditioning coach Soham Desai. The BCCI told them that though their efforts were valued, the board had decided to cut down on the overall number of the support staff, resulting in the non-renewal of contracts.

It has also been reported that the BCCI personally informed these support staff personnel of the changes. A BCCI senior official personally contacted Nayar and the other coaches to inform them that their contracts would not be renewed. The decision, despite the good word on their work, was made because the board wanted to streamline functions and reduce the number of support personnel in the team.

Nayar's return to KKR was a milestone occasion as he joined a known group of experts. KKR's present support staff consists of head coach Chandrakant Pandit, bowling coach Bharat Arun, and mentor Dwayne Bravo, all of whom collaborate intensively in team preparation. Nayar's experience, particularly his previous association with the KKR Academy, brings useful experience to the current coaching panel. He was seen at Eden Gardens recently, joining the players while they warmed up for their next game against the Gujarat Titans on April 21, 2025.

Aside from the return of Nayar, other major personnel shifts in the BCCI occurred. It has been said that the national team lost Arun Kanade, also one of the three masseurs of the team. Kanade was released by the BCCI, together with Rajiv Kumar and Chetan, the other two masseurs. Releasing Kanade and the rest is included in the ongoing transitions in the support staff.

This overhaul in the national team's support staff is done in the wake of an on-going process of the BCCI to bring in changes and modifications within the management structure. Though the decisions in not renewing the contracts were taken with a view to thinning out the support staff, it will have to be seen how the new changes will influence the team in the future. Until then, Abhishek Nayar's comeback to KKR is a good news for the franchise as he brings back his experience and knowledge to the team.