3 Potential replacements if Chandrakant Pandit is sacked by KKR after IPL 2025

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), who are the defending Indian Premier League (IPL) champions, face an uphill task to save their season. Ajinkya Rahane and his side take on Delhi Capitals on Tuesday in a do-or-die encounter to keep their playoff hopes alive. Ahead of the game, there are reports of discontent in the KKR dressing room as regards their coach Chandrakant Pandit. 

According to reports carried by Revsportz, Pandit could be potentially facing the sack if KKR doesn’t make it to the play-offs. There is apparent player discontent, as the report from Revsportz stated “Grapevine has it that an overseas player was taken aback when Pandit questioned him for going out for dinner with a rival team player, notwithstanding that they are teammates in their national side.”

Former international cricketer David Wiese was one of the earliest to raise his displeasure about Pandit’s coaching technique. During his appearance on a podcast, ‘Hitman for Hire: A Year in the Life of a Franchise Cricketer’, Wiese had said, “Pandit is known in India as a very militant type of coach. He is very strict, very disciplinarian, and that type of stuff.”

The former KKR player went on to add, “Sometimes in franchise cricket, when you have overseas guys who've played all over the world, they don't need anyone coming and telling them how they need to behave, what they need to wear, and what they need to do the whole time. So, that was tough.”

Also read: How can KKR qualify for IPL 2025 playoffs after their game vs PBKS was rained off?

Here are the three potential KKR coaching candidates to replace Chandrakant Pandit

3- Ottis Gibson 

Former West Indian pacer Ottis Gibson is already the assistant coach of KKR and brings with him years of coaching experience. Gibson has already served as the bowling coach of England as well as the head coach of West Indies and South Africa and later the bowling coach of Bangladesh. With so much experience, KKR could potentially have a coach with years of working experience with various backgrounds and bring some new approaches to the table. 

2- Ravi Shastri 

India’s former coach Ravi Shastri is currently seen doing his commentary duties in the IPL. Ravi Shastri has been one of the most successful coaches in the history of the Indian cricket team. With his no-nonsense approach and ability to create a positive team environment, Ravi Shastri could just be the perfect replacement for Chandrakant Pandit ahead of the next season. Shastri is seen as a guide rather than a coach and many players have praised his man-management skills during his tenure as India’s coach. 

1- Eoin Morgan 

The man who played a key role in changing the way England played white-ball cricket, Eoin Morgan, could be a potential candidate to replace Chandrakant Pandit. The former England skipper led his national side to a World Cup title in 2019. Two years later, Morgan took over as KKR’s captain replacing Dinesh Karthik and led the team to the final. Morgan knows the franchise well and having worked his magic as a captain, it may just be the right time to blood Eoin Morgan as the coach of KKR for the IPL 2026 season.