In a groundbreaking development, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have made the decision to part ways with two of their coaches ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have removed Chandrakant Pandit as the head coach of the franchise, and they have also parted ways with the bowling coach Bharat Arun.
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Chandrakant Pandit replaced Brendon McCullum at KKR
The highly regarded domestic coach Pandit was appointed as head coach of Kolkata Knight Riders after Brendon McCullum parted ways with the franchise to join the England National Cricket Team.
Pandit took charge as KKR head coach from the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 and remained a part of the set-up till the 2025 season.
In his debut season at the helm, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) struggled to perform and finished in seventh place. Things changed significantly in the next season as the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) went on to lift their third Indian Premier League (IPL) title.
However, the credit for Kolkata Knight Riders’ Indian Premier League 2024 was mostly given to the mentor Gautam Gambhir and assistant coach Abhishek Nayar.
The impact of Gautam Gambhir and Abhishek Nayar was quite significant, as when they left ahead of the Indian Premier League 2025 to join Team India, Kolkata Knight Riders’ performance went downhill, and they finished in eighth spot on the points table.
Chandrakant Pandit’s controversies at KKR
Despite being an IPL-winning head coach and having a legendary run in domestic cricket, Chandrakant Pandit was not a well-liked coach behind the scenes.
After his failure with KKR in the first season, some foreign players, including David Wiese, publicly expressed dissatisfaction with his “militant” and disciplinarian coaching style.
Also, during the IPL 2025, reports emerged that the overseas players were not happy with Pandit’s strictness, and it was revealed that he questioned an overseas player for dining out with rivals during the season.
His stay at the Kolkata-based franchise was marred by notable controversies around his authoritarian management style, and after the disastrous IPL 2025 season, there were reports that the franchise was looking for a new head coach.
Mr. Chandrakant Pandit has decided to explore new opportunities – KKR
In an official statement, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) stated that Pandit has decided to explore new opportunities and wished him luck for the future.
“THANK YOU CHANDU SIR. 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,” KKR said in an official statement.
We wish you the best for your future endeavours, Chandu Sir
PS: Once a Knight, always a Knight. Kolkata will always be your home pic.twitter.com/GF0LxX5fIz
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) July 29, 2025
Meanwhile, a TOI journalist has claimed that Bharat Arun, who was KKR’s bowling coach, has also been let go by the franchise and will be joining the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.
“Kolkata Knight Riders have parted ways with head coach Chandrakant Pandit and bowling coach Bharat Arun, according to reliable sources. A source tells me that Arun will be named as CSK bowling coach..though a CSK official denied it! @KKRiders @ChennaiIPL @IPL,” TOI journalist wrote on X.h
#BIGBREAKING
Kolkata Knight Riders have parted ways with head coach Chandrakant Pandit and bowling coach Bharat Arun, according to relaible sources. A source tells me that Arun will be named as CSK bowling coach..though a CSK official denied it! @KKRiders @ChennaiIPL @IPL— Gaurav Gupta (@toi_gauravG) July 29, 2025
