Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar is embarking on a new chapter in his coaching career as he prepares to take on his first full-time coaching role with the Women’s Premier League (WPL). After his departure from the Indian men’s team coaching staff, Nayar has been appointed as the head coach of UP Warriorz, a franchise that has yet to secure a title in the tournament.
Meanwhile, Nayar, who is also the batting coach for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), expressed his deep connection with the franchise, calling it his ‘family.’ Reflecting on his decision to join KKR even before the public announcement of his exit from the Indian team, he mentioned that the franchise is where he belongs in a lot of ways.
“KKR is family to me. Everyone throws his weight way too much around the fact that it’s family, but for me, I think it’s family because the speed at which I came back [to the team] was a testament to the fact that that’s where I belong in a lot of ways,” Nayar told PTI.
Nayar opens up on UP Warriorz responsibility
Taking charge of a senior team in a full-time capacity for the first time, Nayar sees the WPL as a significant and exciting opportunity. He is determined to instil a winning mentality and create a culture focused on success within the UP Warriorz setup.
“I’ve always looked at anything as opportunities, and this is an opportunity, which I’m very, very excited for in that regard. The opportunity is to create a culture where everyone understands that this franchise plays to win trophies, and try and bring that mentality into our ecosystem,” he mentioned.
Nayar also highlighted the remarkable progress in Indian women’s cricket, particularly since the inception of the WPL. He spoke on the agility of the cricketers and how it has given a platform for the young cricketers to grow and make a mark.
“WPL will impact not only Indian cricket, but also Indian domestic cricket. It is very different from the first year in a WPL trial, where I felt many people were more touch players. Now you can see so much more power entering the game. You can see the girls diving around, throws are flat, throws are faster. There’s enormous growth and that’s not going to stop,” he mentioned.