KL Rahul Shockingly Joins KKR Preparation For IPL 2026

KL Rahul spotted at KKR camp [Source: @KkrKaravan/X.com]Ahead of the IPL 2026 season, Delhi Capitals batter KL Rahul mysteriously landed at KKR training camp. Rahul apparently batted in the nets under the guidance of the Knight Riders’ head coach, Abhishek Nayar.The upcoming IPL season is set to kick off on March 28 with defending champions RCB taking on SRH at Bengaluru. KKR, meanwhile, will face the Mumbai Indians on March 29 for their opening campaign.Before the tournament began, KKR set up a training camp under the supervision of Abhishek Nayar. But they met with an unexpected arrival.KL Rahul trains with KKR coach Abhishek NayarIn recent photos that went viral on social media, KL Rahul, who plays with Delhi Capitals, was seen training with KKR head coach Abhishek Nayar. He batted in the nets with Nayar guiding him from behind.The net session also featured the Knight Riders’ young wicket-keeper Angkrish Raghuvanshi. Naturally, the sight of KL Rahul in the KKR camp raised eyebrows.Fans were not happy with Nayar taking Rahul under his wing just days before the start of the new IPL season.KKR Karavan @KkrKaravan NAYAR × KL RAHUL × ANGKRISH Abhishek Nayar is monitoring Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s wicketkeeping and interestingly KL Rahul is practicing with them Mar 15, 2026, 11:04 AM However, Abhishek Nayar’s connection with KL Rahul goes back a long way. The latter trained under the former during his rough patch and later bounced back stronger during the Anderson-Tendulkar Test series last year.Rahul has repeatedly credited Nayar for his comeback and expressed gratitude to him for backing him when no one believed in him.Also Read - More Injury Setback For KKR! Harshit Rana Ruled Out Of IPL 2026Nayar promoted as head coach by KKRMeanwhile, Abhishek Nayar now has bigger and bolder responsibilities for KKR ahead of the IPL 2026 season. He has been promoted as head coach, thus replacing veteran Chandrakant Pandit, who left the franchise after the IPL 2025 season.Nayar has been closely associated with KKR for many years and has worked in multiple roles such as assistant coach, talent scout, and mentor.Because of his strong relationship with players and deep understanding of the team culture, KKR management believes he is the right person to lead the team’s next phase.KKR finished 8th in IPL 2025, and now, with Abhishek Nayar at their helm, the franchise would hope for a turnaround in 2026.Knight Riders sign Mustafizur’s replacementKolkata Knight Riders have officially signed Blessing Muzarabani as a replacement for Mustafizur Rahman for the IPL 2026 season. Mustafizur was originally bought by KKR for ₹9.2 crore, but he had to withdraw due to sudden issues affecting India-Bangladesh cricket relations, forcing the franchise to find a replacement.Zimbabwe fast bowler Muzarabani impressed recently in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, where he took 13 wickets in 6 matches. Because of this performance, KKR moved quickly to sign him.After KKR signed him, Muzarabani withdrew from the PSL. He will join the KKR squad on March 17. This could be his first real IPL opportunity, even though he was briefly with RCB in IPL 2025 as a temporary replacement.Also Read- NZ vs SA Highlights, Scorecard- 1st T20I, South Africa tour of New Zealand 2026