Before the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) announced the appointment of Dwayne Bravo as their new coach. Bravo, a veteran of the T20 format, announced his intention to retire from all forms of cricket after an injury had a bittersweet ending to his Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2024 season. Only hours after formally declaring his retirement from the game, Bravo joined KKR as their new coach, replacing Gautam Gambhir.
In the Indian Premier League, Gautam Gambhir has been a major mentor. The Lucknow Super Giants were headed by him in 2022 and 2023. He rejoined KKR as a mentor in 2024 and assisted the squad in winning their third IPL title. During his playing career, Gambhir won two IPL titles with KKR in 2012 and 2014. In his tribute, KKR highlighted how much of an influence Gambhir had both as a player and coach.
Dwayne Bravo in IPL 2025
Dwayne Bravo recently agreed to a long-term deal at a meeting with KKR CEO Venky Mysore during the CPL. In addition to KKR, he will oversee all other Knight Riders teams in T20 tournaments, including the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (ILT20), Los Angeles Knight Riders (MLC), and Trinbago Knight Riders (CPL). “DJ Bravo joining us is an exciting development,” Mysore said in a statement. “His relentless drive to win, along with his vast experience and deep knowledge, will greatly benefit our franchise and players.”
Dwayne Bravo, who turns 41 in October, takes over as India’s head coach from Gautam Gambhir, who was instrumental in KKR’s 2024 IPL championship victory. In addition to Gambhir, KKR lost Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate, their assistant coaches, who were both assigned to positions in India’s support staff. Chandrakant Pandit will lead KKR as head coach, while Bharat Arun will oversee bowling operations.
Bravo International and IPL Career
“I’ve been part of the Trinbago Knight Riders for the last 10 years in the CPL. Having played for and against the Knight Riders in various leagues, I have a lot of respect for how they operate,” the 40-year-old said in a statement. “The owners’ passion, the professionalism of the management, and the family-like environment make it a special place. This is the perfect platform for me as I transition from playing to mentoring and coaching the next generation of players.”
The four-time IPL champion has a lengthy history with the Knight Riders. He had spent most of his CPL career with the Trinbago Knight Riders, despite having only played for the Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings. In 2022 and 2023, Dwayne Bravo served as the bowling coach for the Super Kings. Dwayne Bravo gave up playing cricket for the national team in 2021, although he kept playing for his franchise and started teaching.
He was also appointed Afghanistan‘s bowling consultant for the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA. Most recently, he worked with his IPL team, Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Dwayne Bravo’s ability to perform under pressure—especially with his slower balls and death-over bowling—led to his legendary career and made him a household name in T20 cricket. In 2017 and 2018, he lead Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) to consecutive CPL victories. In 2021, he led St Kitts & Nevis Patriots to their first-ever CPL victory.
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