Prior to the 2026 Indian Premier League season, Shane Watson, a former all-rounder for Australia, has been named assistant coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders. The development has been formally announced by the three-time winners. Abhishek Nayar, who was just named head coach, will now have him as his deputy.
After being hired as the team’s assistant coach, Shane Watson expressed his happiness. The renowned all-round player expressed his excitement about joining the team and assisting them in achieving their fourth championship in the lucrative competition.
Being a member of a team as legendary as the Kolkata Knight Riders is an enormous honour. I’ve always respected the KKR team’s dedication to excellence and the fervour of its supporters. In KKR’s official media announcement on Thursday, November 13, Watson said, “I’m excited to work closely with the coaching group and players to help bring another title to Kolkata.”
What a day, Watt-o Knight! 🙌
Welcome to the Family, @ShaneRWatson33 💜 pic.twitter.com/hpOclOv7LA
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) November 13, 2025
The addition of Shane Watson to the KKR family fills us with joy.
Our team culture and preparation will benefit greatly from his experience as a top-tier player and coach. We look forward to Shane Watson efforts on and off the pitch because of his exceptional grasp of the T20 format’, KKR CEO Venky Mysore stated.
Considering Watson’s record in the Indian Premier League, he played for the Rajasthan Royals during the first season, when the team from Jaipur won the championship. In addition to becoming the Most Valuable Player of the 2008 edition of the lucrative competition, Watson was a major contributor to the inaugural season. He has also played for top teams like the Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
In his 145 IPL games, the Queensland-born player amassed an outstanding 3874 runs while taking 92 wickets. He is one of the most successful foreign players to have participated in the IPL, having amassed four hundreds, twenty-one half-centuries, and four wickets. KKR will be hoping that Watson’s experience will help them bounce back from a poor 2025 season finale.
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