Shane Watson Joins KKR Coaching Staff
Shane Watson, a former Australian all-round player, will be assistant coach of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the run-up to the IPL 2026 season, part of a new coaching structure with Abhishek Nayar as head coach and Dwayne Bravo as mentor.
The appointment of Watson follows KKR’s 7th-place finish in IPL 2025, which necessitated a complete overhaul of the team’s management. Tim Southee, who is also a former New Zealand pacer, is also an addition to the staff, jugging between franchise obligations and a consultancy association with England road racing within the last six months.
Watson said it was an honour to join a franchise as well-known as the Kolkata Knight Riders. The enthusiasm of KKR fans and the team’s drive towards excellence are something I have always admired. I would also like to collaborate closely with the coaching team and the players to help add another title to Kolkata.
It is the second coaching experience in the IPL Watson had after becoming the deputy coach to Ricky Ponting at Delhi Capitals in the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He most recently served as head coach of the San Francisco Unicorns in the three seasons of Major League Cricket (MLC).
Watson decided to keep his broadcasting and other coaching engagements, even though KKR would have preferred a one-year assignment.
Watson is a proclaimed T20 all-rounder, with an IPL, BBL, and PSL title-winning team. In 2008, he was the MVP as Rajasthan Royals won the first IPL championship, and he completed his IPL playing career with Chennai Super Kings in 2018, scoring 555 runs in 15 matches, including a century in the final.
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