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Kolkata Knight Riders head coach Abhishek Nayar has shed light on the extensive behind-the-scenes work that helped Rinku Singh rediscover his touch in IPL 2026, saying the franchise focused as much on restoring confidence as making technical adjustments during the batter's lean phase, reported ESPNcricinfo.
Rinku continued his impressive resurgence with an unbeaten 49 off 29 balls against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Raipur on Wednesday, helping KKR post 192/4 alongside Angkrish Raghuvanshi's fluent 71 not out. Although KKR eventually lost by six wickets after Virat Kohli's match-winning century, Rinku's consistency remained one of the biggest positives for the side. After managing scores of 4, 1 and 6 in three of his first five innings this season, Rinku has now amassed 207 runs across his last four innings without being dismissed, striking at over 170. Explaining the revival, Nayar said KKR deliberately created practice scenarios that mirrored match conditions to help key players regain rhythm. "One of the things we tried when we were not doing so well was a lot of centre-wicket practice to bring the confidence back," Nayar explained after the defeat, as per ESPNcricinfo. "Same with Varun [Chakravarthy], same with Rinku, because they were two really important players for us and didn't start the tournament well. So obviously, there are different processes for both of them, but for Rinku, it was getting him in the centre," he added. Nayar also revealed that the support staff worked on a subtle tweak in Rinku's trigger movement, something the left-hander had not previously used in his batting. "If you would have noticed, his initial movement changed; he's now walking across compared to before. So we kind of figured that out, maybe that can help him, and he's never done that, so we added that to his batting. It helped him. So a lot of work was going on when we were trying to get these guys back, because it's not easy," said Nayar. According to Nayar, KKR's efforts extended beyond technical refinement and centred heavily on rebuilding belief after a difficult start to the season. "Just having access to grounds and making sure we spent some time in the heat kind of helped. Getting his mind back into the belief systems that he can clear the boundary, he can hit those fours and sixes, and what he can do technically and tactically to actually do that. So a lot of groundwork," KKR head coach informed. Nayar admitted the emotional burden on players during prolonged poor form can often be underestimated, particularly in a tournament as intense and public as the IPL. "I know from the outside you don't understand what a player goes through, but it's really hard for an individual to not have a good game and come back, and the amount of messages they get, even from close friends or family, it's not easy for them," he said. "So I think for us it was to curate an environment where they felt safe, where they felt like they can still go out and play regardless of what the outcome was," he further added. The KKR coach said maintaining consistency in selection and dressing-room culture had been central to the team's recent improvement after a difficult first half of the campaign. "I think, to be honest with you, through and through from the inception of the tournament, the one thing that we decided collectively was to be very consistent," he said. "Consistent in how we approach our processes as a team." "Making sure the environment, which I feel in the IPL, is one of the hardest things to maintain with all the outside noise and pressure. Making sure we create that environment for the guys where they feel like they can be themselves. Because sometimes this tournament can take that away from you," said Nayar. KKR's recent revival has kept their playoff hopes mathematically alive despite Wednesday's loss. The side has won four of its last five matches but remains eighth on the table with nine points from 11 games, meaning it must win all three remaining fixtures to stay in contention. Nayar defended the team's decision to persist with established players rather than making wholesale changes during the losing stretch. "I've been there as a player, so I wanted to make sure as a coach I'm very consistent, and so is the support staff, and everyone feels like they've not let the team down," he said. He further added, "But sometimes you need to accept that things aren't going in your favour. We talk about luck, the rub of the green - sometimes that doesn't go your way, and you need to accept that." KKR will next return to Eden Gardens, where Nayar hopes injured mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy can rejoin the bowling attack. "One of the reasons why we've done so well is the Varun-Sunil [Narine] combination, and Anukul [Roy] doing his part as well," he said. "But we're always excited to go back home. Fans there, we're looking to make sure when Varun comes back in the next game, we get our strong bowling side back together and use home conditions to our advantage," he concluded. (ANI)
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