Abhishek Nayar To Stephen Fleming: Head Coaches Of RCB, CSK, MI, KKR, PBKS, GT, LSG, DC, RR, SRH Ahead Of IPL 2026 Auction – Check In Pics – Zee News

As franchises gear up for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction, the focus is not just on the players going under the hammer, but also on the head coaches, whose philosophies will directly influence retention strategies, trade decisions, and the all-important auction bids. These coaches hold the key to the IPL franchises’ fortunes, tasked with molding a championship-winning squad from a fresh pool of talent. While some teams have retained their trusted coaches, few franchises have turned to fresh faces to revitalize their fortunes for the IPL 2026 season.
Here’s a list of head coaches of RCB, CSK, MI, KKR and others for IPL 2026 season:
Stephen Fleming, the evergreen Kiwi, enters his 18th season as head coach of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), a tenure that’s synonymous with yellow-clad dominance. Fleming, the longest-serving IPL coach, who have led them to multiple titles, is set to continue his reign with the Chennai-based franchise for the 2026 season. (Pic credit: IANS)
 
The former Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene stays on for another term as head coach of Mumbai Indians for another crack at the glory. After a brief hiatus, Jayawardene’s 2025 comeback stabilised the five-time champions MI post a lean patch and he will look to end the title drought in the upcoming IPL 2026 season. (Pic credit: Mumbai Indians)  
Andy Flower, the Zimbabwean legend and ex-England coach, is set to continue as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) head coach during the upcoming IPL 2026 season. His tactical acumen helped RCB win their maiden IPL title during the 2025 season. (Pic credit: RCB)
 
In a major shake-up, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) parted ways with IPL-winning coach Chandrakant Pandit after a disappointing 2025 season, where the 2024 champions slumped to mid-table.
According to an Indian Express report, KKR is all set to appoint Abhishek Nayar as their head coach for the forthcoming season. It has been learnt that Nayar was told about the franchise’s decision last week and a formal announcement is expected to be made soon. Nayar had joined KKR last year as support staff after he was removed as assistant coach of the Indian team.  (Pic credit: KKR)
Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara will return to Rajasthan Royals (RR) in a lead role to helm the coaching staff after the exit of Rahul Dravid as head coach. Dravid’s exit from RR came after a structural review from the franchise, which finished ninth at IPL 2025 with 8 points from 14 matches and failed to qualify for the playoffs. (Pic credit: Rajasthan Royals) As per ESPNcricinfo report, Sangakkara, who has been RR’s Director of Cricket since 2021, is firming up the position with the Rajasthan-based franchise, even as he has already informally started planning for the 2026 season.
Australia’s triple World Cup winner Ricky Ponting is all set to continue as Punjab Kings coach after the successful 2025 season, where PBKS finally broke their playoff jinx after years of inconsistency. Retained for 2026, Ponting’s auction strategy will focus on moving one step ahead and win maiden IPL title for Punjab Kings. (Pic credit: IANS)
 
Daniel Vettori, the former Black Caps skipper, is all set to remain head coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for the upcoming IPL 2026 season. Under Vettori’s coaching, SRH have played an exciting brand of cricket in the last few years. (Pic credit: BCCI/IPL)
 
Under Hemang Badani’s coaching, Delhi Capitals (DC) had a terrific start to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season with four wins on the trot. However, the Axar Patel-led DC failed to continue their winning momentum and eventually failed to qualify for the IPL 2025 playoffs. However, Badani is likely to continue as head coach of Delhi Capitals for the IPL 2026 season. (Pic credit: IANS)  
IPL winning coach Ashish Nehra is all set to continue his tenure at Gujarat Titans. Under Nehra’s coaching, Gujarat Titans will look to win another title during the upcoming IPL 2026 season. (Pic credit: IANS)
 
Former Australia coach Justin Langer remains in charge of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), with Bharat Arun joining as the new bowling coach and Carl Crowe as spin consultant for 2026.​ (Pic credit: BCCI/IPL)   
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