Former West Indies fast bowler Ottis Gibson has been appointed as Assistant Coach for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of IPL 2025. The 55-year-old joins an experienced coaching staff that includes head coach Chandrakant Pandit, mentor Dwayne Bravo, bowling coach Bharat Arun, and spin bowling coach Carl Crowe.
Ottis Gibson’s Coaching Career
Gibson has built an impressive coaching résumé following his four-year international playing career with the West Indies. His coaching experience includes:
- Serving as England’s bowling coach in two different stints.
- Leading West Indies as head coach (2010-14), guiding them to their first T20 World Cup title in 2012.
- Coaching South Africa (2017-19) as their head coach.
- Briefly working with Bangladesh and Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
- Mentoring multiple T20 franchise teams worldwide.
KKR’s New Coaching Setup
Gibson’s appointment comes as part of KKR’s revamped backroom staff following the departure of mentor Gautam Gambhir, who is now the head coach of the Indian men’s team. Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate have also joined Gambhir in the national team setup.
KKR’s IPL 2025 Campaign
Defending champions KKR will begin their title defense against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on March 22 at home. The team will have a new captain, Ajinkya Rahane, with Venkatesh Iyer as vice-captain.
Gibson’s vast experience in both international and T20 coaching is expected to play a crucial role in KKR’s strategy for IPL 2025.
