All posts tagged: abhishek nayar

‘When you drop Virat Kohli, it becomes difficult’: Abhishek Nayar after KKR’s loss | Ipl News

‘When you drop Virat Kohli, it becomes difficult’: Abhishek Nayar after KKR’s loss | Ipl News

KKR head coach Abhishek Nayar did not spend too much time searching for complicated reasons after Royal Challengers Bengaluru chased down 193 with relative comfort in Raipur on Wednesday night. For him, the turning point was simple enough. “When you drop Virat Kohli, especially in a chase, it becomes very difficult,” Nayar said after KKR’s six-wicket defeat. Kohli made KKR pay dearly for the dropped chance on 21, finishing unbeaten on 105 off 60 balls and guiding RCB home with the kind of control and composure that has defined his career for years. Nayar admitted KKR had enough runs on the board but felt the game slowly slipped away through a series of small moments that did not go in their favour. “As I said earlier, the score was fine on this pitch,” Nayar said. “There are a lot of things that could have been better. Virat’s catch was a very tough one. The Angkrish catch, you would expect him to take.” The KKR head coach also pointed to the absence of Varun Chakravarthy, whose …

Rinku Singh named Kolkata Knight Riders vice-captain, franchise signals future leadership shift

Rinku Singh named Kolkata Knight Riders vice-captain, franchise signals future leadership shift

4 min readKolkataUpdated: Mar 25, 2026 01:15 AM IST Three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders on Tuesday appointed explosive batter Rinku Singh as their vice-captain for IPL 2026, underlining the franchise’s long-term leadership plans. Rinku will assist skipper Ajinkya Rahane, who has been retained as captain despite KKR’s disappointing IPL 2025 campaign. “Rinku Singh will work very closely with skipper Ajinkya Rahane as vice-captain,” KKR CEO Venky Mysore said during the team’s ‘Knights Unplugged 3.0’ event here. Backing the decision, head coach Abhishek Nayar said Rinku’s evolution within the set-up made him a natural choice for a leadership role. “I’ve seen him evolve as a leader over the years. He’s someone the team always looks forward to, so we wanted to give him a little bit more responsibility. I feel it’s the perfect time after winning the T20 World Cup,” Nayar said. Rinku’s rise has been one of the most remarkable stories in IPL history, from being picked for Rs 80 lakh in 2018 to being retained for Rs 13 crore ahead of IPL 2025. ALSO …

‘That length doesn’t work at all…’

‘That length doesn’t work at all…’

2 min readMar 20, 2026 05:48 PM IST Kolkata Knight Riders have roped in Blessing Muzarabani for the upcoming Indian Premier League season. The Zimbabwe national has been delivering for his country consistently in recent times. His ability to swing and seam the ball both ways and also make the most of the bounce that is available on the surface are his strengths. But former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra predicted that his natural length in Indian conditions might make him expensive. “Although Blessing Muzarabani had an excellent World Cup, I am not very hopeful about him replicating that performance in the IPL. That’s what I feel. I could be completely wrong. I will put my hand up and say that I made a mistake, but the length at which he bowls mostly and the kind of wickets that are there in India, I am not 100 percent certain,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel. “That length doesn’t work at all at the death. It still works with the new ball, but if they have to …

Coach Nayar hails Blessing Muzarabani signing, eyes KKR’s ‘fourth star’ in IPL 2026

Coach Nayar hails Blessing Muzarabani signing, eyes KKR’s ‘fourth star’ in IPL 2026

2 min readMar 19, 2026 12:11 AM IST Kolkata Knight Riders new head coach Abhishek Nayar on Wednesday termed the arrival of Zimbabwe pacer Blessing Muzarabani as a “blessing in disguise”, as the franchise looks to regroup after a forgettable last season and aim for a fourth IPL title. Addressing the squad during their first training session at the Eden Gardens, Nayar made a pointed reference to the late replacement of Mustafizur Rahman, welcoming Muzarabani into the fold. “Blessing, you are a blessing in disguise for us,” the 42-year-old former India all-rounder, who has been a longtime part of KKR set up under Gautam Gambhir, said in his opening pep-talk. Nayar was elevated to head coach ahead of IPL 2026 after KKR parted ways with Chandrakant Pandit following an eighth-place finish last season. Nayar had also recently taken charge of Women’s Premier League side UP Warriorz, who finished last in the five-team 2026 season.“I know so far we’ve sort of folded you in the bus, but it’s great to have you, the tallest member ever …

‘Hopefully they can get up and have Monday off’: Finn Allen reacts after taking New Zealand into T20 World Cup final with 33-ball 100 | Cricket News

‘Hopefully they can get up and have Monday off’: Finn Allen reacts after taking New Zealand into T20 World Cup final with 33-ball 100 | Cricket News

3 min readKolkataMar 5, 2026 12:47 AM IST Kolkata Knight Riders fans and management must be licking their lips in anticipation, as all three of their New Zealand recruits – Finn Allen, Tim Seifert and Rachin Ravindra – starred in the demolition job of South Africa in the first T20 World Cup semi-final at the Eden Gardens on Wednesday. Allen slammed a century in just 33 balls – the fastest in T20 World Cup history – while Seifert (58) and Ravindra (13 runs and 2/29) played ideal supporting roles to help the Blackcaps enter the final. With the IPL starting later this month, Allen said he would be ‘pretty happy to bat on the Eden Gardens wicket more often’, before turning his attention to how his parents and family back home in New Zealand will react to his whirlwind knock. ALSO READ | T20 World Cup: Finn Allen’s record-breaking onslaught pulverises South Africa and takes New Zealand to final “I’m sure my parents are up watching the whole game. You know, hopefully they’re proud. But …

‘We can form a woman KL Rahul’: Abhishek Nayar opens up about lack of frontline wicketkeeping option in UP Warriorz ahead of WPL 2026 | Cricket News

‘We can form a woman KL Rahul’: Abhishek Nayar opens up about lack of frontline wicketkeeping option in UP Warriorz ahead of WPL 2026 | Cricket News

The UP Warriorz entered the 2026 Women’s Premier League (WPL) auction with the maximum purse among all five teams, with Rs 14.5 crore in hand. At the end of the auction, the franchise, with new head coach Abhishek Nayar at the helm, assembled a group of experienced and young players, aiming to help them win their maiden title. Yet, one loophole remained: the absence of a premier wicketkeeper-batter, who could lend balance to the playing XI. The franchise has Phoebe Litchfield and 23-year-old Shipra Giri to don the gloves, but Nayar, who was appointed in place of Jon Lewis, agreed that wicketkeeping was an area of concern for the team, a few days before their season opener against the Gujarat Giants on January 10. He also cited KL Rahul’s transformation into a batter-keeper in the men’s team, and expressed hope of finding a similar player in the women’s game. “I absolutely agree with you. There are concerns with the wicket-keeping aspect of it. We are working our way around it. We, maybe surprised you all …

‘Abhishek Nayar knows every player on the planet’: Shane Watson hails KKR head coach’s ‘intel’ after IPL 2026 Auction | Cricket News

‘Abhishek Nayar knows every player on the planet’: Shane Watson hails KKR head coach’s ‘intel’ after IPL 2026 Auction | Cricket News

Former Australia all-rounder and Kolkata Knight Riders assistant coach Shane Watson recently left stunned by the level of preparation by KKR head coach Abhishek Nayar for the IPL 2026 auction that concluded in Abu Dhabi and lavished praised on the Mumbaikar’s depth of knowledge about every player in the world. KKR had entered the IPL 2026 auction with the biggest purse, over 60 crore rupees, with a heavy rebuilding act to be carried out. Knight Riders made a big splash in the IPL mini auction in Abu Dhabi when they snapped up the highly-sought after Cameron Green for a whopping Rs 25.20 crore. The three-time champions, who last won the title in 2024 also snapped up New Zealand’s Finn Allen for Rs 2 crore and express pacer Matheesha Pathirana for Rs 18 crore. The Knights also signed up a bunch of unheralded unacapped talent, involving a mixture of strengths. Watson commended Nayar’s impressive scouting range and said: “I’ll say this straight away, I think Abhishek Nayar knows just about every cricketer on the planet. His …

‘Abhishek Nayar is the straight answer for Andre Russell’s release:’ Former India batter criticises KKR’s IPL 2026 decision | Cricket News

‘Abhishek Nayar is the straight answer for Andre Russell’s release:’ Former India batter criticises KKR’s IPL 2026 decision | Cricket News

West Indies powerhouse Andre Russell’s release from the Kolkata Knight Riders on the IPL 2026 retention deadline day grabbed eyeballs, with several pundits and fans expressing surprise over the decision from the three-time champions. Russell, 37, retired from international T20Is earlier this year and has served the Knights for over 11 years, scoring 2600 runs while also picking 122 wickets for the franchise. Russell’s devastating impact was vital to the KKR set-up, however, former India batter Mohammed Kaif feels things may have changed with the appointment of Abhishek Nayar as head coach. Kaif added that Nayar is the direct reason behind the relase of Russell, insisting that the former India assistant coach wants to mould his own side. ‘You had him at Rs 12 crore… “Russell’s release is not right. You had him at 12 crore and that is not a big amount really for a player like him. He is once in a generation player. Yes he was out of form but later on he scored runs too. But as coaches change, they bring …

WPL 2026: Abhishek Nayar reveals why UP Warriorz decided to retain only 1 player ahead of the auctions | Cricket News

WPL 2026: Abhishek Nayar reveals why UP Warriorz decided to retain only 1 player ahead of the auctions | Cricket News

When the retentions ahead of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 auctions were announced by all five teams on Thursday, one side stood out from the rest. The UP Warriorz, who have not made the Playoffs cut in the last two editions, decided to retain only one player – uncapped batter Shweta Sehrawat – for Rs 50 lakh. It meant that while they would enter the auction with four Right to Match (RTM) cards, they would also need to rebuild their squad entirely almost from scratch in a bid to win their maiden title in the following or upcoming seasons. “When it comes to retentions, it’s always difficult because you’re dealing with world-class players and leaders in their own right. The idea from the franchise was to start afresh, have more money available in the purse, and build a team that can go all the way,” head coach Abhishek Nayar told JioStar. Story continues below this ad A notable omission from the retention list was that of 2025 Women’s World Cup Player of the tournament …

Minutes after MI’s cheeky ‘(K)night’ post on Rohit Sharma, KKR announce Abhishek Nayar as their new head coach | Cricket News

Minutes after MI’s cheeky ‘(K)night’ post on Rohit Sharma, KKR announce Abhishek Nayar as their new head coach | Cricket News

Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday officially announced Abhishek Nayar as their new head coach, as was reported by The Indian Express on October 26. Interestingly, though, the three-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions’ social media post announcing the development came about 15 minutes after Mumbai Indians cheekily indicated that their veteran former captain Rohit Sharma is not leaving the team. MI attached a picture of Rohit Sharma in their post and said: “Sun will rise tomorrow again ye confirm hai but at (K)night… mushkil hi nahi namumkin hai (It’s not just difficult, it’s impossible),” with the second half of the tweet written in Hindi and a play on the famous dialogue from the Don film series. KKR then tweeted: “A new dawn is upon us,” with a picture in which they welcomed Nayar as their new head coach. Here are the two tweets: ?????? ???????? ???????? ???????????????? ?????????? ye toh confirm hai, but at (K)night… ??????? ?? ????, ???????? ??! ?? pic.twitter.com/E5yH3abB4g — Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) October 30, 2025 A new dawn is upon us …