2 min readMar 19, 2026 12:11 AM IST
Kolkata Knight Riders new head coach Abhishek Nayar on Wednesday termed the arrival of Zimbabwe pacer Blessing Muzarabani as a “blessing in disguise”, as the franchise looks to regroup after a forgettable last season and aim for a fourth IPL title.
Addressing the squad during their first training session at the Eden Gardens, Nayar made a pointed reference to the late replacement of Mustafizur Rahman, welcoming Muzarabani into the fold.
“Blessing, you are a blessing in disguise for us,” the 42-year-old former India all-rounder, who has been a longtime part of KKR set up under Gautam Gambhir, said in his opening pep-talk.
Nayar was elevated to head coach ahead of IPL 2026 after KKR parted ways with Chandrakant Pandit following an eighth-place finish last season.
Nayar had also recently taken charge of Women’s Premier League side UP Warriorz, who finished last in the five-team 2026 season.
“I know so far we’ve sort of folded you in the bus, but it’s great to have you, the tallest member ever to be part of this KKR team. So welcome, I hope you have a great time with us and you enjoy the company of our boys,” Nayar said.
Some welcomes, some comebacks 💜 pic.twitter.com/tC0lwFVzSQ
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) March 18, 2026
Muzarabani, who picked up 13 wickets in the T20 World Cup to finish joint second-highest, including a match-winning 4/17 against Australia, was the centre of attention at the session.
The Zimbabwe quick, who has more than 200 international wickets, is yet to make his IPL debut despite having a previous stint with Royal Challengers Bengaluru as a replacement player in 2025 for Lungi Ngidi.
KKR had initially signed Mustafizur for Rs 9.2 crore as a backup overseas pacer to Rs 18 crore recruit Matheesha Pathirana, but the Bangladesh left-armer was released following BCCI directives earlier this year amid heightened India-Bangladesh tensions.
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The issue escalated to the extent that Bangladesh pulled out of the T20 World Cup refusing to play in India, with Scotland coming in as replacement.
The Zimbabwean has since joined KKR on a Rs 75 lakh deal after opting out of the Pakistan Super League.
