Days after his removal from the Indian team’s support staff, Abhishek Nayar has returned to the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) coaching setup ahead of the 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The franchise confirmed the development on Friday with a post on X, saying: “Welcome back home, @abhisheknayar1”.
Nayar was part of the KKR coaching staff during the 2024 season as assistant head coach, working alongside head coach Chandrakant Pandit and mentor Gautam Gambhir.
The trio played a key role in guiding the franchise to its third IPL title earlier this year.
The 40-year-old’s return to the franchise comes amid his unceremonious ouster from the Indian national side, just eight months into the role of assistant coach.
Officially, India’s recent Test defeats to New Zealand and Australia were cited as the reason for the decision, but reports suggest a possible rift with a senior member of the support staff.
Nayar, a former Mumbai all-rounder, was brought in with the objective of acting as a link between captain Rohit Sharma and Gambhir, both of whom share strong but distinct cricketing philosophies.
With his return to KKR, Nayar is expected to resume a key role in the franchise’s preparations for the next IPL season.