Big change in KKR’s team. (Photo- PTI)
All the teams have intensified their preparations for the next season of the Indian Premier League. Recently, Sunrisers Hyderabad made a big change in their coaching staff and appointed former Indian fast bowler Varun Aaron as their bowling coach. Now 3 -time IPL champion Kolkata Knight Riders have also taken a big decision. In the next season of the IPL, the Kolkata Knight Riders team will take the field with the new head coach.
Big change in KKR’s team
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) has decided to separate with its head coach Chandrakant Pandit. Pandit, under whose guidance KKR won the third IPL title in 2024, will no longer be with the team for the 2026 season. This news has surprised the cricket fans, as Pandit has a great record in domestic cricket and KKR performed brilliantly in his coaching in the last few seasons.
The franchise said in a statement, ‘Mr. Chandrakant Pandit has decided to find new opportunities and he will not continue work as the head coach of Kolkata Knight Riders. We are grateful to his invaluable contribution – including to lead KKR in the IPL Championship in 2024 and helping to create a strong, flexible team. His leadership and discipline have left a permanent impact on the team. We wish them all the best for the future.
We wish you the best for your future endeavors, chandu sir 🤗
PS: Once a Knight, Always a Knight. Kolkata will Always be your home 💜 pic.twitter.com/gf0lxx5fiz
– kolkataknightriders (@kkriders) July 29, 2025
Chandrakant Pandit’s journey with KKR
Chandrakant Pandit was appointed KKR’s head coach in 2022, when he replaced former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum. Pandit, who is famous as the coach winning six Ranji Trophy titles in domestic cricket, was KKR’s head coach for 3 seasons. Under his leadership, in 2024, KKR defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad and won the third IPL title. Pandit’s strategy and Mentarship of Gautam Gambhir played an important role in this victory. But KKR’s performance in the 2025 season did not remain as expected. Team could win only 5 matches out of 14 and could not make it to the playoffs. According to reports, Pandit objected to a foreign player having dinner with the opposition team player, after which his coaching style was questioned. Since then, he was in the headlines and he has separated from the team.
