In an explosive development coming in, three-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have decided to part ways with their head coach Chandrakant Pandit ahead of the next IPL 2026 season. The news was confirmed by the franchise itself via an official post on their Instagram handle.
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The KKR statement read, “Mr.Chandrakant Pandit has decided to explore new opportunities and will not continue as the head coach of Kolkata Knight Riders. We are thankful for his invaluable contributions – including leading KKR to the TATA IPL Championship in 2024 and helping buidling a strong, resilient squad. His leadership and discipline have left a lasting impact on the team. We wish him all the very best for the future.”
Notably, Pandit had joined KKR back in August 2022, filling in the void left by the outgoing Brendon McCullum, who joined the England national team and is their current coach. He took charge of the side from IPL 2023.
KKR, however, had a disappointing last IPL 2025 season as defending champions, failing to qualify for the playoffs and finished eighth in the points table with only five wins out of their 14 league outings. Under Pandit, KKR won a total of 22 of the 42 games across three seasons while losing 18 (2 no-results), with a win % just marginally above 50.
The Madhya Pradesh coach is a big name in the domestic circuit and following his KKR stint which includes a title win, he can be pursued by other franchises. Pandit also boasts of a proven track record of nurturing talent and delivering results.
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With Pandit and the Kolkata outfit mutually parting ways, the natural question becomes who will replace him at the helm. While KKR is yet to make an official announcement regarding the same, reports claim that it can be former franchise and England captain Eoin Morgan. Under Morgan’s captaincy, KKR did well and even reached the finals in 2021.
On the other hand, KKR have also parted ways with bowling coach Bharat Arun with former Proteas speedster Dale Steyn’s name coming up as a possible replacement option.
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