This move was expected for some time and comes just a day after KKR also parted ways with their head coach Chandrakant Pandit.
According to reports, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have hired Bharat Arun as their new bowling coach for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. Arun, who was earlier the bowling coach of the Indian team, spent four years with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) starting from 2022. He played a key role in KKR’s title win in 2024. Now that he has joined LSG, KKR will have to find a new bowling coach ahead of IPL 2026.
This move was expected for some time and comes just a day after KKR also parted ways with their head coach Chandrakant Pandit. With both roles vacant, KKR are set for big changes next season. The team is expected to go through a proper selection process to bring in the right replacements.
Let’s take a look at three names who could be in line to become KKR’s new bowling coach for IPL 2026 after Bharat Arun’s exit.
Zaheer Khan could be one of the names KKR might consider for the bowling coach role in the upcoming season. He joined LSG as a mentor in 2024 but it was not a great season for the team as they finished seventh on the points table.
Now with Bharat Arun coming in as LSG’s new bowling coach, the franchise might part ways with Zaheer. This could open the door for KKR to bring him in. With a pace attack that lacks experience, someone like Zaheer could be very helpful, especially for bowlers like Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora and Umran Malik if KKR retains him.
Morne Morkel could be another option KKR might look at for the upcoming IPL 2026 season. He is currently the bowling coach of the Indian team, but reports say the management might part ways with him in the next few months. Before joining India, he worked with Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL during the 2022 and 2023 seasons and was also with Durban Super Giants in the SA20.
Morne Morkel played for KKR from 2014 to 2016 and was an important part of their 2014 title win. He knows the franchise well and could be a good fit. If he becomes available, KKR might consider bringing him in for IPL 2026.
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Dwayne Bravo is currently the mentor of KKR. He joined the franchise before the IPL 2025 season. His first season did not go too well as the team finished eighth on the points table. However, Bravo has a strong record in the tournament. He was the bowling coach of CSK in 2023 when they won the IPL title.
Now that KKR have parted ways with Bharat Arun, who has joined LSG, Bravo, who was a mentor last season, could be considered for a bigger role as the bowling coach. He shares a good relationship with the franchise and has been involved in coaching and mentoring roles for other Knight Riders teams including Trinbago Knight Riders in the CPL, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the ILT20, and Los Angeles Knight Riders in the MLC.
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