KKR part ways with head coach Chandrakant Pandit after three seasons

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have parted ways with head coach Chandrakant Pandit as part of a support-staff rejig in the wake of a disappointing IPL 2025, where they finished eighth on the points table.

Signed on the back of his domestic success as head coach of Madhya Pradesh, Pandit was with KKR for three seasons. The highlight of his stint was the franchise's title win in 2024 after a ten-year gap.

"Mr. Chandrakant Pandit has decided to explore new opportunities and will not continue as head coach of Kolkata Knight Riders," the franchise said in a statement. "We are thankful for his invaluable contributions - including leading KKR to the IPL championship in 2024 and helping build a strong, resilient squad. His leadership and discipline left a lasting impact on the team."

Pandit was appointed KKR head coach in August 2022, taking over from Brendon McCullum. After an underwhelming maiden season in 2023, where KKR finished seventh, Pandit was at the helm when the franchise won their third IPL title in 2024. After Gambhir went on to take up the role as head coach of the Indian team in July last year, Pandit marshalled KKR for IPL 2025 along with mentor Dwayne Bravo and bowling coach Bharat Arun.

Pandit's reign as KKR head coach began with murmurs that several overseas players didn't adjust to his "military style" methods. Subsequently, Gambhir was brought in as mentor following his two-year stint with Lucknow Super Giants to tide over the tension.

Last year, David Wiese, the Namibia allrounder who was part of the KKR squad in 2023, said on Hitman for Hire podcast: "He [Pandit] is known in India as a very military type of coach. He is very strict, very disciplinarian - that type of stuff.

"Sometimes in franchise cricket, when you have overseas guys, who have played all over the world, they don't need anyone coming and telling them how they need to behave, what they need to wear and what they need to do the whole time. So that was tough."

ESPNcricinfo understands that Pandit, who has a tremendous body of work in Indian domestic cricket, is likely to continue as director of cricket at Madhya Pradesh. After his departure, mentor Dwayne Bravo and assistant coaches Ottis Gibson and Abhishek Nayar remain the key personnel in KKR the support staff. Bravo and Gibson were brought in before the 2025 season and Nayar, who was part of the franchise from 2018 to 2024, joined midway through it. Recently, UP Warriorz appointed Nayar as their head coach for the 2026 Women's Premier League.