KKR coach Chandrakant Pandit has parted ways with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of IPL 2026. Chandrakant Pandit replaced Brendon McCullum as head coach ahead of IPL 2023 and led the team to a title win in IPL 2024 along with captain Shreyas Iyer and mentor Gautam Gambhir. After Shreyas Iyer decided to join Punjab Kings (PBKS) for IPL 2025, KKR handed over the leadership reins to Ajinkya Rahane, but the team failed to replicate the previous year’s success and finished eighth, with five wins and seven defeats.
Three-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have parted ways with head coach Chandrakant Pandit, two months after the conclusion of one of the franchise’s worst seasons in history. Chandrakant Pandit was at the helm when KKR won the title in IPL 2024, but the side plummeted to their joint-worst finish of eighth in IPL 2025.
Chandrakant Pandit’s tenure as coach with Kolkata Knight Riders
Chandrakant Pandit was appointed as head coach of the Knight Riders in August 2022, looking ahead to the 2023 season. A serial winner in Indian domestic cricket, Chandrakant Pandit could only manage a seventh-place finish in IPL 2023, with then-team captain Shreyas Iyer missing the season due to injury.
Upon the return of Iyer as captain and Gautam Gambhir as team mentor, Chandrakant Pandit steered KKR to a dominant title win in IPL 2024. KKR set a record for the most number of points achieved in a single season in the franchise’s history, and also set the record for the highest net-run-rate (NRR) achieved by any IPL team in a league season.
However, following the mega auction, KKR went on to have a season to forget in IPL 2025. The franchise finished in eight spot, their joint-worst in IPL history. KKR won only five out of their 14 league games in IPL 2025, crashing out of playoff contention with two games remaining.
Chandrakant Pandit was also reportedly instrumental in getting Venkatesh Iyer for a whopping 23.75 crore, having coached him earlier at Madhya Pradesh.Chandrakant Pandit was believed to be exceptional in getting Venkatesh Iyer on board as he knew him from a long time, having coached him earlier at Madhya Pradesh. Iyer was also appointed vice-captain, with Rahane as the skipper.
Venkatesh Iyer, however, was a big letdown in the season. Under Chandrakant Pandit, KKR won 22 of the 42 games across three seasons while losing 18 (2 no-results). However, the campaign in the IPL 2025 went horribly wrong as KKR failed to string together consistent performances.
KKR issues a farewell statement for Chandrakant Pandit
Three-time IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders on Tuesday (July 29) confirmed that they have parted ways with Chandrakant Pandit. Pandit was appointed as KKR’s head coach ahead of the IPL 2023 season. He helped the Shah Rukh Khan-owned team become IPL champions in 2024. He was the second Indian after Ashish Nehra to win an IPL title as head coach.
According to KKR,
“Mr. Chandrakant Pandit has decided to explore new opportunities and will not continue as Head Coach of Kolkata Knight Riders,”
“We are thankful for his invaluable contributions – including leading KKR to the Tata IPL Championship in 2024 and helping build a strong, resilient squad. His leadership and discipline have left a lasting impact on the team. We wish him all the very best for the future,”
In IPL 2025, KKR could only manage to win five out of 14 matches and finished 8th in the points table. The Kolkata-based franchise will announce Chandrakant Pandit’s replacement in the coming months.
During Chandrakant Pandit’s three-year tenure with KKR, the franchise developed several Indian players, including Rinku Singh and Harshit Rana, while mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy made a successful return to international cricket last year.
The Knight Riders are now expected to begin their search for a new head coach ahead of the 2026 season, as they look to reset and rebuild after a turbulent year. KKR have not given any update on Chandrakant Pandit’s replacement, but according to reports, former England and KKR captain Eoin Morgan could be in line to take over as coach ahead of the IPL 2026. Reportedly, KKR have also parted ways with Bharat Arun, who was the bowling coach, and he could be replaced by Dwayne Bravo, who is the mentor of the franchise.
The Knight Riders are also set to part ways with bowling coach Bharat Arun if reports are to be believed. Arun joined KKR in 2022, bringing a wealth of experience from his tenure with the Indian national team.
Reportedly, Bharat Arun has joined five-time champion Chennai Super Kings (CSK) as their bowling coach. Last season, Abhishek Nayar also rejoined the Knight Riders as their assistant coach. Interestingly, Abhishek Nayar has joined the UP Warriorz as their head coach for the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025.
Chandrakant Pandit, meanwhile, is expected to remain in demand across the domestic and franchise circuit, given his proven track record of nurturing talent and delivering results.
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