3 players KKR could sign on Abhishek Nayar's advice ahead of IPL 2026 Auction ft. Prithvi Shaw

Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar is set to take charge as the head coach of the three-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 2026 season. On October 30, the franchise announced that the former Mumbai batter would succeed Chandrakant Pandit, who concluded his tenure following the IPL 2025 campaign.

Although this will be Nayar’s first stint as head coach with the franchise, he has been associated with the KKR setup since 2018, having previously worked with players as part of the support staff and academy structure.

Now, as head coach, the 42-year-old faces a significant challenge in reviving the team after a disappointing IPL 2025 season, where KKR finished eighth on the points table with 12 points from 14 matches.

As the franchise prepares for a new era under Nayar’s leadership, here’s a look at three players KKR could sign on his advice.

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#1 Tanush Kotian

The first player on the list is Mumbai all-rounder Tanush Kotian. The 27-year-old has made a name for himself in red-ball cricket, having featured in 42 first-class games. Tanush has scored 2,120 runs at an average of 42.40, including 17 fifties and two hundreds. With the ball, the off-spinner has picked up 125 wickets at an average of 27.36 and a strike rate of 48.6, including three five-wicket hauls.

In T20 cricket, the Mumbai cricketer has played 33 matches, taking as many wickets at an average of 20.03, a strike rate of 18.7, and an economy rate of 6.39, with best figures of 4/16. With the bat, he has scored 87 runs in seven innings. In the IPL, Tanush made a solitary appearance for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the 2024 season, scoring 24 runs without bowling.

In the 2024-25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, during Mumbai’s winning campaign, he bagged nine wickets in as many innings at an average of 20.00, a strike rate of 16.11, and an economy rate of 7.44.

While Tanush has already proven his quality in red-ball cricket, his all-round abilities suggest he can thrive in the shorter formats as well. Given his potential and connection with Mumbai cricket, newly appointed KKR head coach Abhishek Nayar might be tempted to bring the 27-year-old into the setup.

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#2 Prithvi Shaw

Next on the list is opening batter Prithvi Shaw, who went unsold in the 2025 IPL mega auction. The former Mumbai cricketer, who now represents Maharashtra in domestic cricket, has experienced a dip in his career in recent years and has also been involved in a few controversies.

However, Shaw appears to be working on turning things around. In the first two games of the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy, he has already registered a fifty and a century for Maharashtra, including a blistering 222 off 156 balls in the second innings against Chandigarh.

Recently, Abhishek Nayar appeared on the YouTube podcast 'Haal Chaal Aur Sawaal with Ashish Kaushik,' released on September 30, where he was asked to name a player he would like to mentor. Nayar said:

“I think that if I had to work with someone that I feel has the potential and has messed it up, and everyone knows, and I know also, maybe Prithvi, you know, because of what he’s going through. But that’s what I want. I’ve always believed that to work with someone, the inception has to come from the kid wanting to work with the person and having the keenness to, like I said, give it his all. It’s not about what I want, yeah. But I think that would be a fun person to work with, to sort of resurrect his career, which I’m pretty sure he will on his own.”

Given Shaw’s recent positive signs with the bat and Nayar’s expressed desire to mentor the 25-year-old, KKR could consider bringing the right-handed batter into their setup.

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#3 Shivam Mavi

The final name on the list is Uttar Pradesh seamer Shivam Mavi. The 26-year-old went unsold in the IPL 2025 auction but has previously been part of the KKR setup from 2018 to 2022, during which he featured in 32 matches, picking up 30 wickets at an average of 31.40, a strike rate of 21.6, and an economy rate of 8.70. Since then, he hasn’t featured in a single IPL game over the past three seasons.

Earlier this year, Mavi impressed while representing Kashi Rudras, who went on to win the UP T20 League 2025. He finished as the leading wicket-taker of the season, claiming 22 wickets in 10 matches, including two four-wicket hauls.

Given Mavi’s recent form and his prior experience in both the league and with the franchise, Abhishek Nayar might be inclined to bring the pacer back into the KKR setup.

Edited by Dev Sharma