Abhishek Nayar Parts Ways With T20 Team; Quits Coaching Setup

Abhishek Nayar [Source: Kolkata Knight Riders]

Amid the Indian Premier League 2026, the Kolkata Knight Riders head coach Abhishek Nayar has quit the coaching setup and has parted ways with a champion T20 team, as reported on May 14.

Nayar is currently serving as the head coach of Kolkata Knight Riders for IPL 2026, and the team has been going through a rough patch due to an underwhelming performance in the tournament.

Amid this turmoil, in a recent development, Abhishek Nayar has been reported to have left his team, Maratha Royals of the T20 Mumbai League.

Abhishek Nayar’s Stint With The Maratha Royals

Nayar was appointed as the mentor of Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals back in 2025 for the T20 Mumbai League, where he brought his coaching experience to the franchise.

In April 2025, Nayar joined the setup as Maratha Royals was one of the two new teams in the third season of the T20 Mumbai League.

Nayar essentially directed the team's debut auction via phone and Zoom calls to pick a balanced 18-member squad despite being physically absent at that time.

Although he was present virtually, his tactical insight helped the side build a high-performance culture where young talents were particularly focused on.

Under his mentorship, the side was recognised as a competitive squad, with the team ready to build on Nayar's guidance.

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Nayar Bids Goodbye To Champion Team

As per a report from Times of India reporter Gaurav Gupta in Mumbai Mirror, the current KKR coach has quit the setup, and after being quizzed on the development, the head coach confirmed that he had exited the franchise.

Notably, captained by seasoned batter Siddhesh Lad, the Royals won the title in the previous season as they beat SoBo Mumbai Falcons.

Although Abhishek Nayar was one of the crucial figures in the team-building setup, he had an untimely exit, probably due to his current commitments to the Kolkata Knight Riders camp.

Abhishek’s Wretched Stint With KKR in IPL 2026

Nayar's role in the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Maratha Royals camps was slightly different.

While he is the KKR head coach, he was a team mentor in the Maratha Royals, where he nurtured local grassroots talent and was focused on developing rookie, unheralded, and young Mumbai cricketers.

Meanwhile, Kolkata Knight Riders are a much more veteran team and one of India's most popular franchise cricket sides, where in the high-pressure team environment, Nayar had to manage elite international stars and marquee Indian talent.

Although Abhishek Nayar is known for his mastermind and talent-spotting strategies, KKR's 2026 season hasn't been going well.

They currently face elimination from the tournament after losing 6 out of their 11 games. They are now in the 8th position on the points table and are virtually out of the playoff race.

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