IPL 2026: KKR rope in Shane Watson as assistant coach ahead of auction

Shane Watson will work with KKR head coach Abhishek Nayar in IPL 2026.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have appointed former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson as their assistant coach ahead of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. The 44-year-old will return to a coaching gig in the IPL after three years, having held a similar role with Delhi Capitals (DC) under Ricky Ponting in the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

Watson will work with mentor Dwayne Bravo and Abhishek Nayar, who was recently appointed as the head coach of KKR. Nayar took the role after the franchise parted ways with Chandrakant Pandit following team’s failure last year.

Watson is one of the best all-rounders to play for Australia, who represented the team in 59 tests, 190 ODIs, and 58 T20Is. He announced his retirement from international cricket in 2016 after the ICC T20 World Cup. However, he continued to play in the franchise T20 leagues following his retirement. In November 2020, he announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.

Shane Watson won two IPL titles with RR and CSK

Notably, Watson also had a legendary career in the IPL and was part of the tournament till 2020, playing a total of 145 games. He was a member of the Shane Warne-led Rajasthan Royals (RR) that won the inaugural edition in 2008. In the 2018 season, he won another IPL title with MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK), where he scored a match-winning century in the final.

With the arrival of Nayar and Watson, KKR will witness a lot of change in their coaching unit for IPL 2026. Moreover, they are also expected to go ahead with a new captain following Ajinkya Rahane’s failures last season.

On joining KKR, Watson expressed his excitement, saying that he is honoured to be part of the iconic franchise. He added that he is keen to add another title in team’s cabinet.

“It’s a great honour to be part of a franchise as iconic as Kolkata Knight Riders. I’ve always admired the passion of KKR fans and the team’s commitment to excellence. I’m eager to work closely with the coaching group and players to help bring another title to Kolkata.”

KKR, who won the title in IPL 2024, failed to make it to the playoffs in IPL 2025. Winning five matches and losing seven out of 14 (two no result), the three-time champions finished in eighth spot in the points table.

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