Chandrakant Pandit Quits as KKR Head Coach Before IPL 2026

By Abhishek Kumar

Chandrakant Pandit has left his job as the head coach of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The team shared this news on X
He has stepped down from his role
He has decided to look for new opportunities.

Pandit became KKR’s head coach in 2023 after Brendon McCullum. In 2024, he worked with captain Shreyas Iyer and mentor Gautam Gambhir to help KKR win the IPL trophy. But in 2025, after Shreyas Iyer joined Punjab Kings, KKR made Ajinkya Rahane the new captain. The team did not do well that year and finished 8th with just 5 wins and 7 losses.

KKR thanked Pandit in a post, saying his discipline and leadership helped the team a lot. They wished him good luck for the future.

Who will be the new coach?

KKR hasn’t named a new head coach yet. But reports say Eoin Morgan (former England and KKR captain) might take the job. Also, bowling coach Bharat Arun has left. Dwayne Bravo, who is the team’s mentor, could now become the new bowling coach.