3 bowling coaches CSK can sign to replace DJ Bravo in IPL 2025 ft. Bharat Arun
In a significant development, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have named former West Indies cricketer Dwayne Bravo as their mentor. This comes just a day after Bravo announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on September 26.
Bravo was playing for Trinbago Knight Riders in the ongoing Caribbean Premier League 2024 but had his season cut short due to a groin injury. He previously retired from IPL cricket in 2022 and has spent the last two seasons as the bowling coach for Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
In response to this development, KKR CEO Venky Mysore said:
“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 pleased that he will be involved with all our other franchise around the world - CPL, MLC, & ILT20.”
Meanwhile, CSK will need to find a new bowling coach, with several strong candidates in the mix. After Ruturaj Gaikwad's team failed to make the playoffs in the 2024 season, they are looking to regroup before the 2025 IPL auction, which includes filling this coaching position.
On that note, we will look at three bowling coaches CSK could consider to replace DJ Bravo for IPL 2025.
#1 Bharat Arun
The top contender for the role is Bharat Arun, the former Indian bowler and current KKR bowling coach. With Dwayne Bravo joining the Knight Riders as a mentor, he is likely to take on a coaching role as well, given his previous experience with CSK and the Afghanistan cricket team. This could lead to Bharat Arun departing from KKR, prompting CSK to pursue the 61-year-old.
Arun served as the Indian bowling coach from 2014 to 2016 and again from 2017 until the end of the 2021 T20 World Cup. He joined KKR ahead of the 2022 IPL season and was part of the team that secured the championship in 2024.
If KKR decide to release this seasoned coach, CSK will surely be tempted to bring him into their setup.
#2 Anil Kumble
Another prominent candidate is Anil Kumble. The former leg-spinner is India’s all-time leading wicket-taker across formats, with 956 scalps in 403 matches. He served as the coach of the Indian team from 2016 to 2017, guiding them to the final of the 2017 Champions Trophy.
Kumble has also served as the chief mentor for Royal Challengers Bangalore before joining Mumbai Indians in the same role for the 2013 season, remaining with the franchise until 2015. Additionally, he was the head coach of Punjab Kings from the 2020 to 2022 season.
With his extensive coaching experience, CSK could consider Kumble to fill the void left by Dwayne Bravo's departure.
#3 Albie Morkel
Former Chennai Super Kings player Albie Morkel is another strong contender. The South African all-rounder played for CSK for six years, from 2008 to 2013. He represented South Africa in one Test, 58 ODIs, and 50 T20Is before retiring from all forms of the game in 2019.
After his retirement, Morkel joined the Namibia cricket team as an assistant coach in 2019, a role he held until December 2021. In 2022, he served as the power-hitting coach for the Bangladesh team during their tour of South Africa. The all-rounder was the bowling coach for Texas Super Kings in Major League Cricket 2023.
More recently, the 43-year-old joined the Momentum Multiply Titans coaching staff. With his extensive coaching experience and having played under current CSK coach Stephen Fleming, Morkel could be an ideal candidate to replace DJ Bravo.