Kolkata, March 18 Kolkata Knight Riders' new head coach Abhishek Nayar on Wednesday termed the arrival of Zimbabwe pacer Blessing Muzarabani as a "blessing in disguise," as the franchise looks to regroup after a forgettable last season and aim for a fourth IPL title.
Addressing the squad during their first training session at the Eden Gardens, Nayar made a pointed reference to the late replacement of Mustafizur Rahman, welcoming Muzarabani into the fold.
"Blessing, you are a blessing in disguise for us," the 42-year-old former India all-rounder, who has been a longtime part of KKR's setup under Gautam Gambhir, said in his opening pep-talk.
Nayar was elevated to head coach ahead of IPL 2026 after KKR parted ways with Chandrakant Pandit following an eighth-place finish last season.
Nayar had also recently taken charge of the Women's Premier League side UP Warriorz, who finished last in the five-team 2026 season.
"I know so far, we've sort of brought you in, but it's great to have you, the tallest member ever to be part of this KKR team. So welcome, I hope you have a great time with us and you enjoy the company of our boys," Nayar said.
Muzarabani, who picked up 13 wickets in the T20 World Cup to finish joint second-highest, including a match-winning 4/17 against Australia, was the centre of attention at the session.
The Zimbabwe quick, who has more than 200 international wickets, is yet to make his IPL debut despite having a previous stint with Royal Challengers Bengaluru as a replacement player in 2025 for Lungi Ngidi.
KKR had initially signed Mustafizur for Rs 9.2 crore as a backup overseas pacer to Rs 18 crore recruit Matheesha Pathirana, but the Bangladesh left-armer was released following BCCI directives earlier this year amid heightened India-Bangladesh tensions.
The issue escalated to the extent that Bangladesh pulled out of the T20 World Cup refusing to play in India, with Scotland coming in as replacement.
The Zimbabwean has since joined KKR on a Rs 75 lakh deal after opting out of the Pakistan Super League.
Nayar's clear message: Fourth star
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The Ajinkya Rahane-led side, which finished eighth last season, began its campaign under a revamped support staff with Nayar as head coach, Shane Watson as assistant and Tim Southee as bowling coach, while Dwayne Bravo continues as mentor.
Setting the tone for the season, Nayar stressed the importance of mindset over skill.
"We have had a lot of discussions, we have spoken a lot. For me, what happens here is how we tune what's between our ears.
"The skill is there, that's not going to change in the next 10 days.
"But what changes is our mentality. So every moment that we spend on this ground, every moment we spend with each other, with the coaches, amongst ourselves, there's one goal. We have to do one thing, we have to win, we have to get that fourth star."
"And we do everything to prepare our minds before our body actually arrives the first game on the March 29 (against Mumbai Indians in Wankhede).
"We prepare here, we use this time to talk to each other, communicate, get stronger as a group. So we're ready for everything," he added.
Nayar also welcomed Shane Watson, highlighting the value of his experience to the group.
"I've known him as someone who has played under him as a player, really happy Watto to have you with us. Tap into his experience, you will learn a lot. We've had a lot of good coaches but I'm pretty sure Shane Watson is going to add a lot of value to us."
KKR will open their IPL 2026 campaign against Mumbai Indians on March 29.