Abhishek Nayar finds solace in IPL 2025 return after BCCI cuts short contract

Former Team India assistant batting coach Abhishek Nayar has found solace in IPL 2025 return, just days after the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) cut short his national contract midway through the season. The former Mumbai all-rounder has rejoined Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as part of their backroom staff, attending the team’s training session from Saturday (Apr 19) onwards, IPL franchise KKR announced in a statement.

"Abhishek Nayar has rejoined our support staff. He is likely to be at training at Eden today," KKR’s statement read, per Cricbuzz.

Welcome back home, @abhisheknayar1 💜 pic.twitter.com/IwJQTnAWxa

Nayar is no next-door backroom staff member at the franchise, as he has been their man behind the scenes, working on grooming players in their academy over the years. Despite such credentials besides his name, the BCCI decided against renewing his central contract, due in June this year, following Team India’s batting failure during their past two Test series (against New Zealand at home and Australia Down Under), which they lost. 

While India’s batting failure on the rank turners at home brought shame, as they surrendered the Test series (0-3) for the first time in history, failing to deliver against the famous Aussie pace attack despite drawing first blood in the series, it mounted pressure on Abhishek.

Following the horrendous tour Down Under, where India conceded the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in a decade and the chance to qualify for their third straight WTC Final (in June), the BCCI conducted a review meeting, where Nayar’s role came under the scanner. While multiple voices within the management raised questions about his responsibilities, feedback from the players helped the BCCI conclude it. 

However, it’s the first instance in Indian Cricket history that the board terminated a backroom staff member’s contract handpicked by the head coach (Gautam Gambhir here). 

Meanwhile, after Gambhir mentored KKR to its third IPL title last year, the BCCI appointed him as Rahul Dravid’s replacement as Team India’s all-format head coach. Nayar, who was part of KKR’s backroom staff last season, joined Gambhir in the Indian camp last year, only for him to vacate the spot ahead of a heavy away summer. 

Besides Nayar, the BCCI also sacked the fielding coach, T Dilip, and the conditioning coach, Soham Desai, with the Indian Cricket Board deciding to implement the new changes ahead of the England Test series, starting shortly after the IPL 2025.