KKR muddies water on Abhishek Nayar’s role with `deleted` social media post

Abhishek Nayar, who was recently removed as India`s assistant coach, has joined Kolkata Knight Riders` support staff team, the IPL side announced on Saturday but his exact role and position has not been specified.

“Welcome back home, Abhishek Nayar,” KKR posted on X, conforming his re-entry into the team setup.

Welcome back home, @abhisheknayar1 💜 pic.twitter.com/IwJQTnAWxa

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 19, 2025

Nayar was part of the KKR support staff as assistant coach and mentor when they lifted their third IPL title in 2024, a decade after their previous triumph in 2014. He also played a pivotal role in player development at the KKR Academy.

Welcome Back!!!! 💜

Abhishek Nayar has officially joined KKR midway through IPL 2025. pic.twitter.com/UcubPKeovJ

— KKR Karavan (@KkrKaravan) April 19, 2025

In an earlier post KKR revealed that he was back as assistant coach but soon deleted it from X.

Nayar`s exit from the Indian team setup comes in the wake of a performance review by the BCCI, following India`s dismal run in Test cricket late last year.

India suffered an unprecedented 0-3 whitewash at home against New Zealand, followed by a 1-3 series defeat, first in a decade, in Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Closely associated with India head coach Gautam Gambhir, Nayar had joined the national team in July 2024.

Despite earning praise for his work with players like KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, and Shreyas Iyer, his future became uncertain after the BCCI brought in Sitanshu Kotak as batting coach for the England white-ball series earlier this year.

Incidentally, the BCCI has not issued any official communication confirming Nayar`s termination.

Speculation about the decision has pointed to concerns within the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over the growing size of the support staff. A source told IANS: “Some people in the Board had been saying about what`s the point of having so many people in men`s team support staff, especially after the debacle of Test series defeat in Australia. They had this view that with so many coaches there, the support staff of the men`s team gave a crowded look.”

However, the decision is not being framed as a sacking, but rather an effort to streamline the support system. “So, this can`t be called sacking, it`s just about giving the support staff a lean look. Also, this can`t make the likes of Nayar, Dilip and Desai as good or bad coaches, because they still have a lot more to offer to Indian cricket and shaping its future players,” added the source.

Nayar has been widely credited by Indian players, including KL Rahul, for helping instill a mindset transformation in white-ball cricket. Similarly, Dilip received accolades for raising India’s fielding standards to elite levels during his tenure. The masseur, too, is believed to have served the team for several years.

Going forward, Nayar and Dilip’s responsibilities will reportedly be taken over by batting coach Sitanshu Kotak and assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate.