Hyderabad: Defending Champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have appointed Dwayne Bravo as their mentor for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. The former Caribbean all-rounder will replace Gautam Gambhir, who vacated the position to take up the job of the head coach of the Indian national cricket team. The announcement from the franchise came shortly after the former West Indies star announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.
KKR CEO Venky Mysore confirmed that Bravo will be also working with other franchises of the Knight Riders in various leagues across the globe.
"DJ Bravo joining us is a very exciting development. His deep desire to win wherever he plays, his extensive experience and knowledge will benefit the franchise and all players immensely. We are also very pleased that he will be involved with all our other franchises around the world - CPL, MLC & ILT20," Mysore said in a statement.
Bravo played for Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings in the IPL but he has a long association with Knight Riders playing for the franchise throughout the major part of his Caribbean Premier League (CPL) career. Bravo worked as the CSK bowling coach in the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
The 40-year-old bid farewell to international cricket in 2021 but continued playing league cricket afterwards. Most recently, he worked with the Afghanistan team in the 2024 T20 World Cup as their bowling consultant. He was playing in the ongoing season of the CPL, but his stint was cut short due to a groin injury and the cricketer announced his retirement through an Instagram post.