Has he dismissed by BCCI? It’s okay, says Abhishek Nayar! To join KKR Coaching Team before GT Clash on April 21st

Abhishek Nayar is all set to join the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) coaching team in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. The 41-year-old who became the India cricket team’s assistant coach in July 2024 has reportedly been sacked by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Abhishek Nayar’s KKR comeback

And according to the Times of India, Nayar won’t wait to join another coaching setup. The famed coach will join the reigning champions KKR before their next match against the Gujarat Titans on April 21 at the Eden Gardens.

Nayar has longstanding ties with KKR. He has been part of the franchise since 2018. He has worked as the head of the KKR Academy and was the batting coach last year when they lifted their first IPL trophy in 10 years.

As of now, it’s uncertain in what position he’ll return. Since last year, there have been quite a few changes at KKR. They have a new captain in Ajinkya Rahane. Mentor Gautam Gambhir has been India’s head coach. Venkatesh Iyer has been made vice-captain.

KKR have Ottis Gibson as their assistant coach, Bharat Arun as the bowling coach, Carl Crowe as the spin bowling coach and Dwayne Bravo as a mentor. This means that Nayar might return as the batting coach once again. But only time will tell.

Is Abhishek Nayar joining KKR ethical?

A few questions are bound to be raised. One of them would be: how can BCCI let someone who was part of their setup until March 9 join a franchise so soon? And the reason behind this is that Abhishek would know the strengths and weaknesses of many players in different franchises. But he’s being allowed to join KKR with 7 group stage matches yet to be played.

When KKR takes on Gujarat Titans, Nayar, who has worked closely with the likes of Shubman Gill, Washington Sundar, and Prasidh Krishna, can help KKR devise strategies against them. This will happen against other teams as well. That certainly gives KKR an advantage over others.