He has played for five different IPL franchises.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have continued revamping their coaching department and made another notable signing ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. They have roped in Tim Southee, who has also played for KKR before, as their bowling coach.
Southee replaces Bharat Arun, who left the role earlier to join Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) before the next season. The New Zealand pacer was one of the leading T20I bowlers in the world during his playing days and also found some success in the IPL, where he played for five different franchises – Chennai Super Kings (2011), Rajasthan Royals (2014-15), Mumbai Indians (2016-17), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (2018-19), and Kolkata Knight Riders (2021-23).
Overall, Southee has 47 wickets at 37.06 in 54 IPL innings, with a best of 3/20. He has won two IPL titles – one with CSK in 2011 and the other with MI in 2017 – though his contributions in both seasons were minimal.
“KKR has always felt like home to me, and it’s an honour to return in this new role. The franchise has an incredible culture, passionate fans, and a great group of players. I look forward to working closely with the bowlers and helping the team achieve success in IPL 2026,” exclaimed Southee in the official statement.
Following Bharat Arun’s departure from the setup, KKR desperately needed someone who could bring the same quality. Few tick the box as precisely as Tim Southee, who is easily among the finest bowlers from New Zealand.
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There’s a sense of familiarity in Southee joining the Knight Riders, as his last IPL outing came for this franchise only, and he has worked extensively with them before. Additionally, he now has experience as a bowling coach after serving England internationally for some time.
He is still playing in a few T20 leagues as a player, but will unlikely be sold in the IPL since he has retired from international cricket and doesn’t play enough competitive cricket to maintain the standards. The likes of Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard have also been in the same position – playing other leagues as players but acting as coaches in the biggest T20 league.
KKR have made a major revamp to the coaching department, as the acquisition of Shane Watson and Abhishek Nayar’s promotion shows. They have shaped up well as a coaching unit, and it will now be about forming a quality squad for the next season.
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