All posts tagged: 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 …

Malayalam actor Santosh K Nayar dies in a road accident: report | Malayalam News

Malayalam actor Santosh K Nayar dies in a road accident: report | Malayalam News

2 min readNew DelhiUpdated: May 5, 2026 09:20 AM IST Malayalam actor Santosh K Nayar passed away following a road accident on Tuesday, May 5, as per Manorama. He was 65. The fatal incident occurred on the MC Road near Puthussery in Adoor, where his car collided with a truck. Santosh was reportedly in an SUV along with his wife, Rajalakshmi, who sustained serious injuries and is currently undergoing treatment. Known for his impactful screen presence, Santosh K Nayar carved a niche for himself in Malayalam cinema, particularly through his memorable villainous roles. He made his acting debut in 1982 with Ithu Aarti Katha and went on to feature in more than 100 films over the course of his career. His performances, often intense and layered, earned him recognition among audiences and peers alike. ALSO READ | ‘Massive victory’: Manchu Lakshmi, Radikaa Sarathkumar wish Trisha Krishnan as Vijay’s TVK leads Beyond his filmography, Santosh also shared an interesting personal connection with superstar Mohanlal. The two were contemporaries at MG College, where Santosh pursued a BSc …

Who will fill the void left behind by Andre Russell at KKR? Abhishek Nayar explains | Ipl News

Who will fill the void left behind by Andre Russell at KKR? Abhishek Nayar explains | Ipl News

3 min readMar 21, 2026 12:57 AM IST When the 2026 season of the Indian Premier League starts next week, Kolkata Knight Riders will have an Andre Russell-shaped hole in their side, after the West Indian was released by the franchise ahead of the IPL auctions. The all-rounder retired from the IPL after that and has returned to the franchise as the “power coach” for the team. But who will fill the void left behind by Russell in the KKR franchise? When this was asked at the pre-IPL press conference, head coach Abhishek Nayar said: “Andre Russell has been a flag bearer for this franchise for many years. What he’s done over the years in T20 cricket, it’s going to be hard to replicate. However, this is a season of opportunities. We have Rinku (Singh) and Ramandeep (Singh) who can step up and do something for the franchise, like they have before. Nayar continued: “There’s pressure when playing in the IPL but we want our players to be true to their potential and make a …

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 …

‘He was bowling at 130-131 kph’: Abhishek Nayar on Shivam Dube | Cricket News

‘He was bowling at 130-131 kph’: Abhishek Nayar on Shivam Dube | Cricket News

2 min readUpdated: Feb 19, 2026 09:55 PM IST Shivam Dube, alongside scoring a blistering half-century, also managed to pick up two wickets for 35 runs in India’s game against the Netherlands on Wednesday. Former Indian coach Abhishek Nayar lauded Dube’s improvement as a player in the last year. Nayar also noted that Dube’s pace, which was military medium, has now reached 130-131 KPH. “Not only in the World Cup, but in the last one year, he has delivered whenever he has been challenged, whether it’s with the ball or the bat. He has even bowled with the new ball for India. He has worked very hard. He has reduced his weight and increased his strength. He has increased his muscle mass,” the former India all-rounder said during a discussion on Jio “His bowling pace has also increased. He was bowling at 130-131 kph today (Wednesday). That is the all-rounder’s speed. Every Netherlands fast bowler was bowling at that speed. I believe whatever challenge Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir have given to him, he has …

‘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 …

Who will fill the void left behind by Andre Russell at KKR? Abhishek Nayar explains | Ipl 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 …

Abhishek Nayar on Jasprit Bumrah’s impact IND vs SA 1st Test: ‘Those conditions, black soil, he is going to be lethal’ | Cricket News

Abhishek Nayar on Jasprit Bumrah’s impact IND vs SA 1st Test: ‘Those conditions, black soil, he is going to be lethal’ | Cricket News

Jasprit Bumrah is one of those rare bowlers who can make an impact on the Test matches regardless of the conditions. Former Indian coach Abhishek Nayar was of the opinion that Bumrah is going to be lethal yet again on the Kolkata black soil wicket ahead of the first India vs South Africa match starting on Friday. “Those conditions, black soil, he is going to be lethal. Someone, the opposition is going to be discussing a lot about, and no matter how much you discuss, when you stand and you have to face him, it’s a completely different ball game. When Bumrah is in your attack, it kind of takes away from everyone else, and your focus is solely on Jasprit Bumrah picking wickets,” Nayar said. “Workload management again, he has been playing a lot of cricket, which is amazing to see. Luckily, in this T20 format (series against Australia), there were two games that were washed out. He will be relatively fresh and relatively excited because he is going to get conditions that he …

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 …