Abhishek Nayar has tasted quite some success while serving as an assistant coach, but it isn’t the same when he is at the helm of affairs of a team. Be it the Women’s Premier League or the Indian Premier League, his record as a full-time head coach has been miserable. Interestingly, all of this has happened ever since he was relieved of his duties as the assistant coach for the India cricket team in October 2025, following which he was appointed as the head coach for UP Warriorz and Kolkata Knight Riders.
Well, Abhishek Nayar‘s career as a full-time coach has gotten off to the worst possible start. First, UPW finished at the bottom of the points table in WPL 2026. To make matters worse, KKR now find themselves at a similar position even before the halfway stage of IPL 2026. Overall, Nayar has lost 11 out of the 14 matches as head coach – a record that he surely wouldn’t fancy.
Abhishek Nayar’s dreaded start as head coach
Nayar was a part of KKR’s support staff until 2024, when he was named as a member of Gautam Gambhir’s Team India support staff. However, after the debacles against New Zealand and Australia, he was relieved of his duties in 2025. Almost immediately, Abhishek was named as KKR’s new head coach, following which he also took charge of UP Warriorz. Mind you, Nayar was the head of KKR Academy for a long time, served as the batting coach when they lifted the IPL trophy after 10 years in 2024, before moving to the Indian team.
However, Nayar’s role as head coach has been the least impressive. Talking about UP Warriorz’s journey in WPL 2026, the team finished at the bottom of the points table with just 2 wins and 6 losses from 8 matches, despite hitting the reset button at the mega-auction. While there is no doubt about his ability to help players technically and shape them, as he has so often done with multiple stars, he simply couldn’t get the job done with the franchise.
| Opponent Team | Match No. | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gujarat Giants Women | 2nd Match | Jan 10 | Lost by 10 runs |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women | 5th Match | Jan 12 | Lost by 9 wkts |
| Delhi Capitals Women | 7th Match | Jan 14 | Lost by 7 wkts |
| Mumbai Indians Women | 8th Match | Jan 15 | Won by 7 wkts |
| Mumbai Indians Women | 10th Match | Jan 17 | Won by 22 runs |
| Gujarat Giants Women | 14th Match | Jan 22 | Lost by 45 runs |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women | 18th Match | Jan 29 | Lost by 8 wkts |
| Delhi Capitals Women | 20th Match | Feb 01 | Lost by 5 wkts |
The woes compounded further for Nayar in IPL 2026 as the team has lost 5 out of the 6 matches they have played so far with him at the helm of affairs. Abhishek replaced Chandrakant Pandit – the man who led them to their third title in 2024. Despite boasting an enviable CV and having helped countless players rediscover their rhythm and game, the former India assistant coach has failed to do the same for KKR in IPL 2026.
| Opponent Team | Match No. | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mumbai Indians | 2nd Match | Mar 29 | Lost by 6 wkts |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | 6th Match | Apr 02 | Lost by 65 runs |
| Punjab Kings | 12th Match | Apr 06 | No result (due to rain) |
| Lucknow Super Giants | 15th Match | Apr 09 | Lost by 3 wkts |
| Chennai Super Kings | 22nd Match | Apr 14 | Lost by 32 runs |
| Gujarat Titans | 25th Match | Apr 17 | Lost by 5 wkts |
