All the teams in the Indian Premier League are focused on the trade window. But at the same time, Kolkata Knight Riders has put down its focus on something else. The team entered as the defending champions in IPL 2025, still they failed to reach the playoffs of the tournament. Now, it seems that they have
the Mission IPL 2026.
The team has started by changing the coaching staff, which now consists of some star players. Abhishek Nayar joined as the Head Coach of the team, while Shane Watson followed this list by joining as the Assistant Head Coach. Right now, KKR has also announced that the team has Tim Southee as their new bowling coach for the next season.
1. Tim Southee Returns
Tim Southee would be returning to the Indian Premier League after missing out on two seasons. But this time, he won’t be coming as a player, he will be coming with a new role. Kolkata Knight Riders have announced Tim Southee as their new bowling coach, and he will be eager to give his valuable presence to the team.
Tim Southee in IPL:
- Innings: 54
- Overs: 201
- Wickets: 47
- Average: 37.06
- Economy: 8.66
He started off his IPL career with Chennai Super Kings in 2011. Playing just his first ever IPL season, he was able to lift the trophy with the team. But he received less opportunities in this season, playing just 5 games for the team, and was also not able to shine with the ball.
Pic Source: CricTracker
This eventually led to Southee missing out on IPL 2012 and 2013 editions, following which he was released. For IPL 2014, he was bought by Rajasthan Royals, and played the next two seasons for them. This time also he was not able to do well for the team, taking just 6 wickets in 10 matches combined in both seasons.
When Rajasthan Royals got banned, Southee got into Mumbai Indians and finally started to receive consistent opportunities. In IPL 2016, he played 11 matches for the team, which is also the highest number of games he has played in a single IPL season. But inconsistent performances returned for him in IPL 2017, when he played just 3 games and Mumbai Indians won the title.
Pic Source: Hindustan Times
Southee was then bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore for IPL 2018 and 2019. At that time also, he was not able to do well for the team and was eventually released. After missing out on IPL 2020, he returned in 2021 and played for Kolkata Knight Riders. This was the time when he gave his best performances with the ball.
He played just 3 games for the team in IPL 2021, but showcased his worth in the next season. In IPL 2022, playing 9 games for KKR, he took 14 wickets, which is also the highest he has taken in a single IPL season. Despite this, his last season came in 2023 with KKR, where he played just two games.
2. KKR’s Coaching Department Buffed
Looking at the coaching staff of Kolkata Knight Riders, it can be said that the team is far better than any other season this time. After some bad performances in the previous season, the team knew some changes were required, which were made through the coaching staff. Chandrakant Pandit, their Head Coach, had his stint with the
In his place, the team got back Abhishek Nayar to their line-up, who joined as the Head Coach. He has also served as the Assistant Head Coach of India till April 2025, following which he left the post. Moreover, it should be noted that Nayar has already been a part of the team’s coaching department before, making him familiar
Following this, the team also had a notable inclusion to their coaching staff. Shane Watson, veteran all-rounder, joined the team as their Assistant Head Coach. This showed that KKR is making rapid strides for the upcoming edition, focused to improve the team
Just when fans thought that the team could not bring more legends, KKR came up with another surprise. The team has now announced Tim Southee as their new bowling coach, who is a former New Zealand bowler. Southee had spent his final days in the IPL with KKR as a player, and now starts his coaching journey with the same team.