IPL: After BCCI axe, Abhishek Nayar returns as KKR support staff

The Kolkata Knight Riders team had a pleasant surprise on Friday as Abhishek Nayar, now a former assistant coach of the Indian team, has rejoined the support staff of the reigning IPL champions. The news of Nayar’s termination from the national role had been reported by the media, including National Herald, on Wednesday.

‘’Welcome back home, @abhisheknayar1,’’ KKR posted on their social media handle as Nayar joined the squad at the Eden Gardens as they resumed training after a two-day break for their upcoming match at home against in-form Gujarat Titans on Monday. Earlier this week, KKR slumped to one of their worst performances as they folded up for 95 in chasing a paltry target of 112 against Punjab Super Kings – losing the match by 16 runs.

 While the BCCI are yet to make an official announcement about relieving Nayar, along with two other members of the support staff, the decks were cleared for the former Mumbai stalwart’s return to KKR fold with immediate effect.

Asked what would be his designation as the franchise had filled up the mentor’s spot after Gautam Gambhir’s departure (Dwayne Bravo), coach (Chandrakant Pandit) and assistant coach (Ottis Gibson), a spokesperson said he would right now be ‘a part of the support staff’ but more details will be forthcoming soon.

 Early signs of Nayar’s possible return to the IPL ecosystem emerged on Thursday when Varun Chakravarthy, the KKR mystery spinner who made his mark in ODIs in last ICC Champions Trophy, gave an Instagram status with Nayar without any caption. A former domestic stalwart who had figured in three ODIs for India, Nayar had been instrumental in shaping the careers of a number of unheralded players into finished products at IPL’s Mumbai academy since 2018 — Chakravarthy, Rinku Singh, young Angkrish Raghuvanshi, pace bowlers Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora, while former KKR captain Dinesh Karthik officially appointed him as a batting mentor.

 While a number of theories have been floating about Nayar’s credentials to be a support staff with the Indian team, the likes of K.L. Rahul, a senior member of the Indian squad, had openly lauded Nayar’s contribution to his form at the ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai.