Abhishek Nayar Returns to KKR as Assistant Coach, All But Confirms Exit from Team India Setup

Abhishek Nayar is back with the Kolkata Knight Riders after reports came out saying he has been removed as Team India's batting coach. This comes after India had a tough time in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year, where they lost the series 3-1. India had started strong by winning the first Test in Perth, but couldn’t keep up the momentum in the rest of the matches. Nayar had earlier worked closely with Gautam Gambhir, who is now the head coach of the Indian team, during the last season at KKR as well.

According to a PTI report, Abhishek Nayar has been let go from his role as Team India’s assistant coach just eight months after taking up the job. While the BCCI hasn’t made any official announcement yet, the report mentions there were tensions between Nayar and an important member of the support staff. Though the official reason given was India’s poor performance during the Australia tour, there are strong rumours that a fallout behind the scenes may have played a big part in the decision.

“While India’s recent Test debacles (against New Zealand and Australia) has led to the churning but there is also a feeling in the BCCI that Nayar became a scapegoat in the turf war between an important member of the support staff and a senior star player,” a BCCI source told PTI.

Support Staff Changes Amid BCCI Rule

The assistant coach being removed isn’t a one-off situation. Fielding coach T Dilip and Strength & Conditioning coach Soham Desai are also likely to leave, as they’ve each been in their roles for over three years. This comes after the BCCI introduced a new rule that limits how long support staff can stay, no more than three years in one role.

Adrian Le Roux, who was India’s first-ever Strength and Conditioning coach, is likely to make a comeback. The South African played a big role in changing the team’s fitness standards during the 2003 World Cup when Sourav Ganguly was captain. Many believe he’s a strong candidate to take up the job again.

As things stand, Nayar’s exit appears to be part of a broader structural overhaul. But behind-the-scenes tensions might have played an equal, if not a greater role in his unceremonious departure.

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