Jacques Kallis appointed head coach of Kolkata Knight Riders

The Kolkata Knight Riders named Jacques Kallis as their head coach, succeeding the now England coach Trevor Bayliss who was with the IPL franchise for four years.

New Delhi: The Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday named Jacques Kallis as their head coach, succeeding the now England coach Trevor Bayliss who was with the IPL franchise for four years.

Kallis, who has been with KKR as a player since 2011 and last year became the batting consultant and mentor, has played a key role in the resurgence of the team with two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014.

Speaking about his new role, Kallis said: "KKR is my family in India and the association since 2011 has been one of the most enjoyable experiences for me. I look forward to the new challenge and feel honoured to be part of the KKR family"

Kallis is one of the legends of the game, having scored more than 10,000 runs in both ODI and Tests besides taking 273 and 292 wickets respectively.

Venky Mysore, CEO & MD of KKR said: "We couldn't be happier that Jacques agreed to take on the role as head coach, making this transition seamless. The respect and regard he commands in the dressing room as well as his fondness for KKR made him our ideal choice."