World
India
Abhishek Nayar is back with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for the ongoing IPL 2025 season. Just days after parting ways with the Indian men’s cricket team, KKR welcomed him back with open arms, posting his photo in team colours and calling it a return “home”.
Welcome back home, @abhisheknayar1 ? pic.twitter.com/IwJQTnAWxa
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 19, 2025
His return comes amid major changes in India’s support staff structure, signaling a new direction for the national side.
Support Staff Shake-up Points to Leaner Approach
Alongside Nayar, fielding coach T. Dilip and strength and conditioning coach Soham Desai are also expected to move on from their roles with the national side. A long-serving masseur who has been with the Indian team for years is also reportedly on the way out.
Nayar, who had earlier been part of the KKR setup before joining the national team as assistant coach in July last year, was seen as a fresh, modern voice in India’s white-ball strategies.
Dilip and Desai, meanwhile, were instrumental during India’s unbeaten Champions Trophy campaign in Dubai earlier this year — a triumph that had marked a peak for the team.
Despite their success, internal discussions within the BCCI appear to have sparked a push for a more streamlined backroom setup.
“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,” sources told a leading news agency.
Another official emphasized that the changes don’t reflect poorly on those leaving.
“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.”
Impact and Legacy of Departing Coaches
Nayar earned praise for his work with several batters, including KL Rahul, who acknowledged the mental clarity Nayar helped bring to his game in white-ball formats.
Dilip’s role may have been low-profile, but his contribution in elevating India’s fielding unit hasn’t gone unnoticed during India’s recent successful run.
As for the outgoing masseur, he had been a familiar and reliable figure in the dressing room for a number of years, quietly playing his part in the team’s environment.
New Faces in the Indian Coaching Camp
With the departures, Sitanshu Kotak is set to oversee batting duties, while former KKR player Ryan ten Doeschate will take charge of fielding responsibilities.
Doeschate had previously worked with KKR during Gautam Gambhir’s tenure and will now reunite with him in the Indian setup.
Adrian Le Roux is the frontrunner for the strength and conditioning role. Currently part of the Punjab Kings’ IPL team, he brings prior experience from stints with both KKR and the Indian national team in the early 2000s.
Looking ahead, India’s next big assignment is a challenging five-match Test series in England, which kicks off on June 20.
ALSO READ: Mohammad Kaif Blasts Virat Kohli’s Rash Shot Selection: ‘He Thought It Was a Six-Over Game’
