Kolkata Knight Riders have appointed the former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson as their new assistant coach ahead of the IPL 2026 season.
The franchise confirmed the news on Thursday and termed his appointment a big addition to the support staff.
KKR chief executive Venky Mysore said, "We are thrilled to welcome Shane Watson to the KKR family. His experience as a player and coach at the highest level will add immense value to our team culture and preparation. His understanding of the T20 format is world-class, and we look forward to his contribution both on and off the field."
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Watson’s stellar career across formats
A leading all-rounder of his time, Watson played 59 Tests, 190 ODIs, and 58 T20Is for Australia, accruing more than 10,000 runs in international cricket. As a bowler, he took close to 300 wickets and was an integral part of Australia’s 2007 and 2015 ODI World Cup triumphs.
Watson, in the IPL, has featured in 145 matches over 12 seasons between 2008 and 2020. He scored 3,874 runs, with four centuries to his credit, and took 92 wickets. He lifted the IPL trophy twice-first with the Rajasthan Royals in 2008 and then with the Chennai Super Kings in 2018.
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After retirement, Watson went into coaching in international T20 leagues and earned a reputation as an astute tactician and skilled man-manager. “It’s a great honour to be part of a franchise as iconic as Kolkata Knight Riders. I’ve always admired the passion of KKR fans and the team’s commitment to excellence. I’m eager to work closely with the coaching group and players to help bring another title to Kolkata,” Mint quoted Watson as saying.
KKR had earlier announced Abhishek Nayar as their head coach, replacing Chandrakant Pandit, and Dwayne Bravo is retained as the mentor of the team-adding to the strategic and technical core of the franchise as it gears up for IPL 2026.
