On Thursday, November 13, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) announced the appointment of the former Australia National Cricket Team all-rounder Shane Watson as their new assistant coach.
Shane Watson will be working under the new head coach, Abhishek Nayar, at the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the next few seasons of the Indian Premier League (IPL), starting with the 2026 edition.
We are thrilled to welcome Shane Watson to the KKR family – Venky Mysore
In an official statement released by KKR, the CEO Venky Mysore said that they are delighted to rope in the services of Warson, who understands the pulse of T20 cricket very well. He said:
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“We are thrilled to welcome Shane Watson to the KKR family. His experience as a player and coach at the highest level will add immense value to our team culture and preparation. His understanding of the T20 format is world-class, and we look forward to his contributions both on and off the field.”
Meanwhile, Shane Watson said that he is honoured to join the iconic Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise. He said:
“It’s a great honour to be part of a franchise as iconic as Kolkata Knight Riders. I’ve always admired the passion of KKR fans and the team’s commitment to excellence. I’m eager 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
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Shane Watson brings a plethora of experience
Watson is regarded as one of the best all-rounders to have represented Australia National Cricket Team across all three formats of the game. He played 59 Tests, 190 ODIs, and 58 T20 Internationals in his immensely successful career.
Watson scored over 10,000 runs in international cricket and bagged over 250 wickets. He also won the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2007 and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2015 with Australia.
In the Indian Premier League (IPL), he represented Rajasthan Royals (RR), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and Chennai Super Kings, playing 145 games and scoring 3874 runs while picking 92 wickets.
Shane Watson served as the Delhi Capitals coach
After announcing his retirement from international cricket, Shane Watson transitioned into a coach and worked with different franchises across the globe in mentorship and coaching roles.
He served as the assistant coach of the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 and 2023. Apart from the IPL, he worked in the Major League Cricket (MLC) and the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
Watson was the head coach of the San Francisco Unicorns in the Major League Cricket (MLC) for three years and head coach of Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in 2024.
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) would be hoping for a quick turnaround after the arrival of Watson to the setup after a poor campaign in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.
Notably, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) won the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer, but had a horrible campaign next season as they finished in eighth place on the points table.
