As the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) continue to restack their coaching setup, they have made a big move by roping in the legendary Australian and Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Shane Watson as their assistant coach ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.
Further, as per ESPNcricinfo, KKR have also signed former New Zealand pacer Tim Southee in their coaching ranks, though his designation is not clear yet.
This news was confirmed on Thursday, a couple of days out from the retention deadline day.
Watson said in a released statement,
“Itâ€s a great honour to be part of a franchise as iconic as Kolkata Knight Riders. Iâ€ve always admired the passion of KKR fans and the teamâ€s commitment to excellence. Iâ€m eager to work closely with the coaching group and players to help bring another title to Kolkata.â€
KKR, the champions of IPL 2024, are restructuring their coaching setup this year. Following their disappointing performances in IPL 2025, where they finished 7th in the points table under new captain Ajinkya Rahane, KKR sacked head coach Chandrakant Pandit, replacing him with Abhishek Nayar, who was an assistant coach.
Who are the coaches of KKR for IPL 2026?
The KKR coaching setup includes Abhishek Nayar as the head coach, Dwayne Bravo as the team mentor, and Shane Watson as an assistant coach, and it is reported that Tim Southee will also join KKRâ€s coaching staff for IPL 2026.
Watson was one of the premier cricketers in the world of his generation. Winner of the 2015 World Cup with Australia, Watson won multiple franchise league titles, including the IPL, BBL, and PSL. He was the Player of the Tournament in the 2008 IPL season with Rajasthan Royals and slammed a match-winning century in the 2018 IPL final while opening for CSK against SRH.
After retirement, Watson soon transitioned into a coaching role. He was the assistant coach to Ricky Ponting at Delhi Capitals for two IPL seasons in 2022 and 2023. He was the head coach of the San Francisco Unicorns in the MLC in the USA for three seasons.
All franchises will have to announce their list of retained and released players by November 15, which is the retention deadline day.
IPL 2026 auction: Will KKR release Venkatesh Iyer?
It has been learned that KKR are likely to release Venkatesh Iyer, whom they had purchased for INR 23.75 crore, but his returns last season were dismal: 142 runs in seven innings at an average of 20. KKR would likely want to rebuy him at a much lower price.
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