By Robert 
Abhishek Nayar has officially rejoined the Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) support staff, marking a swift return to franchise cricket following news that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has opted not to renew his contract with the national team.
“Abhishek Nayar has rejoined our support staff. He is likely to be at training at Eden today,” KKR confirmed in a statement on Saturday (April 19). Interestingly, the announcement came even before the BCCI formally communicated his exit from the Indian team setup.
Nayar had been serving as assistant coach under Gautam Gambhir for the past ten months. Alongside Nayar, fielding coach T Dilip and strength and conditioning coach Soham Desai have also been relieved of their duties. It is understood that a senior BCCI official contacted each of them personally to convey the decision, citing a planned reduction in the size of the support staff. The board reportedly expressed satisfaction with their work but explained that the restructuring meant their contracts would not be extended.
Nayar’s return to KKR had been widely anticipated. As previously reported by Cricbuzz on April 17, the franchise has always held Nayar in high regard, viewing him as an integral part of its setup. A former India and Mumbai all-rounder, Nayar has previously worked in key roles with KKR, including heading the KKR Academy.
He was seen at Eden Gardens on Saturday evening as KKR geared up for their next clash against Gujarat Titans on Monday. Nayar joins a coaching unit led by Chandrakant Pandit (head coach), with Bharat Arun (bowling coach) and Dwayne Bravo (mentor) also part of the backroom team.
BCCI Also Releases Masseur from National Team
In a further development, the BCCI has also released Arun Kanade, one of the three masseurs associated with the Indian team. Kanade’s exit is part of a broader streamlining of the support staff. Rajiv Kumar and Chetan remain with the setup for now.