sports

IPL 2025 – Dwayne Bravo parts ways with CSK, joins KKR as mentor


Former West Indies allrounder Dwayne Bravo has ended his long and celebrated journey at Chennai Super Kings, with whom he won four IPL titles in different roles. He is joining defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as a mentor from the 2025 season.
Bravo, who turns 41 in October, will replace Gautam Gambhir, who took over as Indian head coach until 2027 soon after helping KKR clinch their third IPL title. A day prior to the announcement, Bravo had retired from all cricket.

ESPNcricinfo learned that Bravo recently met with KKR CEO Venky Mysore during the CPL before agreeing to the contract. Apart from KKR, he will be in charge of all franchises under the Knight Riders label in T20 leagues: Trinbago Knight Riders (CPL), Los Angeles Knight Riders (MLC) and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (ILT20).

“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.”

“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,” Bravo 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.”

This will be the second coaching job for Bravo in the IPL. Bravo, who was bought by CSK in 2011, retired from the IPL after the 2022 season and joined the franchise as the bowling coach from the 2023 season. Having won the IPL three times as a player, Bravo had success in his first IPL coaching assignment when CSK beat defending champions Gujarat Titans to win the title in 2023.

Among the best death bowlers in T20 cricket, Bravo is the third-highest wicket-taker in IPL history and the first player to win two purple caps in the tournament.

Having played more than 500 T20s, Bravo is considered by players and peers as among the best tacticians and motivators, qualities that had elevated him to the West Indies captaincy. Bravo had retired from international cricket after the 2021 T20 World Cup, but while he continued to play in T20 leagues (at Mumbai Emirates in ILT20, Texas Super Kings in MLC and TKR in CPL), he has gradually moved towards coaching. During the 2024 T20 World Cup, he played a key role as a consultant coach for Afghanistan, helping the team making the semi-finals for the first time in their history.

LEAVE A RESPONSE

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *