Dwayne Bravo Leaves Coaching Role at CSK To Become KKR’s New Mentor

West Indies legend Dwayne Bravo has decided to relinquish his coaching role with the Chennai Super Kings in order to replace Gautam Gambhir as the new mentor of Kolkata Knight Riders. Moreover, the 40-year-old all-rounder will be in charge of Knight Rider teams in other leagues too.

After enjoying a super successful stint with CSK in which he won four IPL titles as a player and as a coach, Bravo will coach the defending IPL champions KKR for the 2025 IPL season. According to ESPNcricinfo, Bravo held a meeting with KKR CEO Venky Mysore during the ongoing CPL before becoming the new mentor. Apart from Kolkata Knight Riders, Bravo will also be the mentor of teams like Trinbago Knight Riders (CPL), Los Angeles Knight Riders (MLC) and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (ILT20).  

Dwayne Bravo, who celebrates his 41st birthday in October, retired from all formats of the game just a day before his big announcement of coaching KKR. He replaces Gautam Gambhir, who has taken up the head coaching from of Indian men’s cricket team. In addition to Gambhir's departure, KKR’s coaching staff also lost Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate, both of whom have been appointed to key roles with Team India under Gambhir’s leadership. However, Bravo will have Chandrakant Pandit as head coach and Bharat Arun as bowling coach. 

KKR CEO Venky Mysore is very pleased by Dwayne Bravo’s addition to the coaching staff. In a statement, Venky said, “DJ Bravo joining us is an exciting development. His relentless drive to win, along with his vast experience and deep knowledge, will greatly benefit our franchise and players." Bravo himself is very excited to become the new mentor of KKR. He said, “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 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." 

This will be Dwayne Bravo’s second coaching gig in the IPL. A legend at Chennai Super Kings, Bravo retired from playing in 2022 after an illustrious career with the franchise that began in 2011. He then immediately took on the role of CSK’s bowling coach, and his impact was felt right away as the Super Kings claimed the 2023 IPL title. Besides being one of the best death bowlers of his time, Bravo also holds the record for the third highest number of wickets in IPL history with 183 wickets. Furthermore, he was the first player ever to win two Purple Caps in IPL. Therefore, it’s no wonder Bravo has been called upon to step into the huge shoes left by Gautam Gambhir at Kolkata Knight Riders.  

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