Dishant Yagnik appointed Kolkata Knight Riders' fielding coach for IPL 2026

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have strengthened their support staff ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 by appointing former Indian cricketer Dishant Yagnik as their new fielding coach. The franchise officially announced the decision on Wednesday and described his appointment as “an exciting new chapter” in his coaching career.

Yagnik’s appointment comes with KKR, which is undergoing a revamp following mixed performances in the last IPL. The three-time champions have assembled a new and high-profile coaching unit led by Abhishek Nayar as head coach, with Dwayne Bravo named mentor. Shane Watson has been appointed assistant coach, Tim Southee will oversee bowling, Andre Russell takes charge as power coach, and Chris Donaldson handles strength and conditioning. Within this structure, Yagnik will be responsible for raising KKR’s fielding standards.

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Yagnik worked as RR's fielding coach from 2018 to 2025

Dishant enjoyed a long domestic career with Rajasthan, primarily as a wicketkeeper-batter, spanning from the 2002-03 season to 2017. He made his first-class debut in 2001-02 and was part of Rajasthan’s historic Ranji Trophy-winning squad in 2005-06. Yagnik also represented India at the Under-19 level and later featured in the rebel Indian Cricket League for Delhi Giants between 2007 and 2009.

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Yagnik transitioned into the IPL with Rajasthan Royals, representing the franchise from 2011 to 2015, during which he played 25 matches. After retiring, he moved into coaching and became Rajasthan Royals’ fielding coach in 2018, a role he held until the franchise decided to overhaul its support staff following a disappointing IPL 2025 campaign, where RR finished ninth. Apart from IPL, Yagnik has been active in domestic coaching. He recently served as an assistant coach for Jammu and Kashmir and played a crucial role in guiding the team to the Ranji Trophy quarterfinals last season.