Abhishek Nayar prefers to keep a low profile. He is comfortable working behind the scenes and not comfortable with the limelight. Over a private conversation, he politely turns down the request for an interview. He is not looking for attention. That’s not his style. Nayar says he just wants to be alone and enjoy the moment with his family and friends.
As Kolkata Knight Riders won their third IPL title, team mentor Gautam Gambhir received unabashed praise. Skipper Shryeas Iyer, too, was lauded for his on-field leadership. Nayar’s role somewhat went unnoticed. But some players ensured that the unsung hero, the team’s assistant coach, received due credit. They tipped their hat to their friend, philosopher and guide.
From Rinku Singh to Varun Chakravarthy, Venkatesh Iyer, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana and Angkrish Raghuvanshi – all of them have benefited from their association with Nayar. Dinesh Karthik, the former KKR captain, calls Nayar a “life coach”. The latter joined the Kolkata-based franchise in 2018 and over the years, he has helped the team build a strong Indian core.
Little wonder then that after beating Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL final on Sunday, Varun spoke about the assistant coach, saying: “All I can think right now is of the person who built this Indian core, Abhishek Nayar. Please come here.” Nayar was visibly shy, as Varun dragged him in front of the camera. He quickly turned around and left the scene. Varun finished the 2024 IPL as KKR’s highest wicket-taker, with 21 scalps at an economy rate of 8.04.
Venkatesh, too, had a fine season and he capped it off with an unbeaten 52 off 26 balls in the final. And like Varun, he, too, waxed lyrical about Nayar’s contribution. “As Varun mentioned, credit has to go to Abhishek Nayar. You know certain things go unnoticed. I will make sure that they don’t go because that guy deserves all the credit in the world for the way he has been working for this franchise,” Venkatesh told the host broadcaster.
Nayar works tirelessly at the KKR academy in Mumbai throughout the year. Ahead of this year’s IPL, his special focus was on Shreyas. The KKR captain was dropped from the Indian Test team. The BCCI excluded him from the list of centrally contracted cricketers under the pretext that he skipped a Ranji Trophy game. Shreyas was struggling with his back injury. His back was developing spasms after facing 60 balls. The batsman turned to Nayar.
From building Shreyas’ load to getting him ready for matches, Nayar walked the extra mile to make it happen. Shreyas played the Ranji Trophy semi-final and final and then came to the IPL in good shape. He never complained during the tournament.
Mumbai cricket has high regard for Nayar as a coach. Those who know him at close quarters marvel at his ability to understand players’ psychology and work accordingly. “He is never in their ear. He allows young players to blossom. Players can open up to him, not only on cricket matters, but also on personal issues. We all know how Nayar helped Karthik when he was going through a tough period,” said a Mumbai cricket veteran.
“We wish we had this team for the rest of our lives,” said KKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan during his dressing room speech, after his team’s title triumph. The three-time IPL champions are likely to lose their mentor, Gambhir, to the Indian team soon. They will not like to part ways with Nayar.
For more sports content: https://revsportz.in/