Former Australia all-rounder joins KKR coaching staff
The Kolkata Knight Riders have appointed former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson as their assistant coach ahead of IPL 2026. Watson was the assistant coach for Delhi Capitals in previous seasons. He returns to a coaching role after three years.
Recently, Abhishek Nair replaced Chandrakant Pandit as the head coach of KKR. While the franchise picked Watson and ultimately chose Nair, they have possibly made crucial additions to their setup for the coming season.
KKR management welcomes Shane Watson
An official statement by the Kolkata Knight Riders confirmed the appointment.
"Shane Watson will be joining the coaching staff of Kolkata Knight Riders to further strengthen the team in IPL 2026," announced the franchise.
Venky Mysore, the CEO of KKR, sounded excited about the new addition:
"We are delighted to welcome Shane Watson to the KKR family. His experience as a player and coach will be valuable for the team. He has deep knowledge of the T20 format, and we look forward to his contributions."
Watson's reaction on joining KKR
Shane Watson expressed his excitement about the new role:
It's a great honour to be a part of an iconic franchise like the Kolkata Knight Riders. I look forward to working with the coaching team and players, helping KKR win another IPL title.
Watson's cricket career and achievements
Watson is one of the most successful all-rounders in modern cricket. He was a participant in the Australian teams that won the ODI World Cups in 2007 and 2015. During his career, he played the following number of matches:
- 59 Test matches
- 190 One Day Internationals (ODIs)
- 58 T20 Internationals (T20Is)
In the Indian Premier League (IPL), Watson has played 145 matches, scoring four centuries. His rich experience as a player and mentor adds strong value to the Kolkata Knight Riders' setup.
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