The Indian Premier League (IPL) auction for players is all set for December 16. This year, the auction will take place in Abu Dhabi. For the last three consecutive years auction has been held outside Inia. Last year, the mega auction was held in Saudi Arabia. This year, the league management is holding a mini auction.
Last month, various IPL teams came up with the list of retained and released players. While Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings overhauled their squads due to poor performance in the last season, teams like Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings made little changes in their respective teams.
Head Coaches of MI, RCB, KKR, CSK, GT, SRH, LSK, PBKS, RR, And DC
However, the focus is not only on the players but also on the management, including the head coaches. The team coaches are pivotal to the success of a franchise,e and they are important in deciding the retention, release, and the future course of action.
Now that the mini auction is just around the corner, and teams have made changes in their squads, here is a look at the head coaches of ten IPL franchises.
Andy Flower: Head Coach of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)
The current champions, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), won last year’s season under Andy Flower. The Zimbabwean great will continue his stint with the team for IPL 2026.
Mahela Jayawardene: Head Coach of Mumbai Indians (MI) Head Coach
The highly successful franchise, the Mumbai Indians, will be playing the IPL 2026 under the head coach Mahela Jayawardene. The former Sri Lankan captain rejoined the team in 2025 after a brief break. MI has been a successful franchise in IPL, winning the trophy five times.
Stephen Fleming Continues as Head Coach of Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
Another successful franchise IPL has seen is Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Stephen Fleming will be the head coach of the team for the 18th season in 2026. He is the longest-serving IP coach.
Kumar Sangakkara Appointed As Head Coach of Rajasthan Royals (RR)
Former Sri Lankan captain and king of the cover drive, Kumar Sangakkara, has been appointed as the head coach of Rajasthan Royals (RR) for the IPL 2026. He will have additional charges as the Director of Cricket. He has been associated with the team before, also between 2021 and 2024.
Ricky Ponting To Coach Punjab Kings (PBKS)
Punjab Kings (PBKS) is continuing with the Australian great Ricky Ponting. Under the former Australian captain who won three World Cups during his career, PBKS reached the playoffs in last year’s IPL after many seasons.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Appoint Abhishek Nayar As Head Coach
Former Indian assistant coach Abhishek Nayar has been appointed as the head coach of the three-time IPL champion Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Nayar will succeed Chandrakant Pandit, who coached the team for the 2025 season. Nayar has been associated with the team earlier, also as support staff.
Delhi Capitals (DC) Continues Hemang Badani
Axar Patel led Delhi Capitals (DC)is going for the IPL 2026 with head coach Hemang Badani. DC had an exciting start in the IPL 2025; however, the team failed to capitalize and couldn’t even qualify for the playoffs.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) Led By Daniel Vettori
Daniel Vettori will continue to be the head coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for the IPL 2026. Former New Zealand captain has been credited with changing the outlook of the team, who play exciting and fearless cricket.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) Goes With Solid Head Coach, Justin Langer
Lucknow Super Giants have a solid coaching panel. The team is continuing with former Australian captain Justin Langer as the head coach, while appointing Bharat Arun as the new bowling coach.
Gujarat Titans (GT) To Continue With Ashish Nehra
Ashish Nehra will continue as the head coach of the Gujarat Titans (GT). GT has delivered some strong performances under the former Indian bowling coach,
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
