Photograph: Laura Lee Dooley (CC BY 2.0)
Dwayne Bravo
Head coach · Trinidad and Tobago
- Born
- 7 October 1983, Santa Cruz
- Playing role
- All-rounder
- Batting
- Right-handed
- Bowling
- Right-arm medium-fast
Dwayne Bravo is the head coach of Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in ILT20 Season 5, the latest post in a coaching career that has followed one of the great T20 playing careers. A former West Indies captain and a two-time T20 World Cup winner, Bravo moved into coaching after retiring from the IPL in 2022, won the title in his first season as Chennai Super Kings bowling coach, and later took charge of every Knight Riders franchise side as mentor.
Dwayne Bravo: Quick Facts
| Full name | Dwayne John Bravo |
|---|---|
| Born | 7 October 1983, Santa Cruz, Trinidad and Tobago |
| Age | 43 (as of 3 November 2026) |
| Country | Trinidad and Tobago |
| Playing role | All-rounder |
| Batting | Right-handed |
| Bowling | Right-arm medium-fast |
| ILT20 team | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders |
Dwayne Bravo: Personal life
Bravo, known as DJ Bravo, also performs as a singer. His half-brother Darren Bravo also played for West Indies. He has not publicly confirmed any marriage. Published estimates put his net worth at USD 19-30 million in 2026.
Playing career
Bravo played for West Indies between 2004 and 2021: 40 Tests, 164 ODIs and 91 T20Is. He made his ODI debut against England in April 2004 and his Test debut against the same side that July, and he was a key member of the West Indies team that won the 2004 Champions Trophy and the T20 World Cups of 2012 and 2016, taking the winning catch in the 2012 final. As a bowler he was one of the finest death bowlers of his era: the first bowler to 500 T20 wickets, and later the first to 600. In the Caribbean Premier League he took 129 wickets in 107 matches, the most by any bowler in the tournament. In the IPL he played for Mumbai Indians before joining Chennai Super Kings in 2011, winning three titles as a player in 2011, 2018 and 2021, and he was the first player to win two Purple Caps, in 2013 and 2015. Chennai retained him for ₹4.40 crore ahead of the 2022 season, his last as a player.
Coaching career
Bravo retired from the IPL after the 2022 season and joined Chennai Super Kings as bowling coach for 2023, winning the title in his first coaching assignment, and he stayed in the role for 2024. He was also the bowling consultant for Afghanistan at the 2024 T20 World Cup, where the side reached the semi-finals. After retiring from all cricket in September 2024, Bravo joined Kolkata Knight Riders as mentor for IPL 2025, replacing Gautam Gambhir, with oversight of every Knight Riders franchise side, including Trinbago Knight Riders, Los Angeles Knight Riders and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders. He was appointed head coach of Abu Dhabi Knight Riders for the 2025 ILT20 season, and he took charge of Trinbago Knight Riders as head coach for the 2025 Caribbean Premier League, replacing Phil Simmons.
Records and achievements
Bravo's record as a player and a coach covers the biggest stages in short-format cricket.
- T20 World Cup winner with West Indies in 2012 and 2016
- Champions Trophy winner with West Indies in 2004
- First bowler to 600 wickets in T20 cricket
- Most wickets in Caribbean Premier League history, 129 in 107 matches
- Two IPL Purple Caps, in 2013 and 2015
- Three IPL titles as a player with Chennai Super Kings, and one more as bowling coach in 2023
Dwayne Bravo in ILT20 Season 5
Bravo leads an Abu Dhabi Knight Riders side that has never reached an ILT20 final. The closest run so far is third place in 2025-26, after an Eliminator win over Dubai Capitals and a Qualifier 2 loss to MI Emirates. Jason Holder captains the side, with Sunil Narine still at its core, and Bravo's Knight Riders connection runs deep: the Abu Dhabi side is one of the franchises he oversees as mentor.
| Match | Date | Fixture | Venue | Start (GST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match 3 | Sunday 22 November 2026 | Dubai Capitals vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders | Dubai International Stadium | 6:30 pm GST |
| Match 7 | Thursday 26 November 2026 | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs MI Emirates | Zayed Cricket Stadium | 6:30 pm GST |
| Match 11 | Sunday 29 November 2026 | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Sharjah Warriorz | Zayed Cricket Stadium | 2:00 pm GST |
| Match 13 | Monday 30 November 2026 | MI Emirates vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders | Zayed Cricket Stadium | 6:30 pm GST |
| Match 15 | Wednesday 2 December 2026 | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Desert Vipers | Zayed Cricket Stadium | 2:00 pm GST |
| Match 17 | Thursday 3 December 2026 | Gulf Giants vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders | Dubai International Stadium | 6:30 pm GST |
| Match 19 | Saturday 5 December 2026 | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Gulf Giants | Zayed Cricket Stadium | 6:30 pm GST |
| Match 24 | Wednesday 9 December 2026 | Sharjah Warriorz vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders | Sharjah Cricket Stadium | 6:30 pm GST |
| Match 27 | Saturday 12 December 2026 | Desert Vipers vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders | Dubai International Stadium | 6:30 pm GST |
| Match 30 | Monday 14 December 2026 | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Dubai Capitals | Zayed Cricket Stadium | 6:30 pm GST |
These are the ten league fixtures. This section will be updated as Season 5 is played.
Career numbers
| Format | Matches | Runs | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 40 | 2,200 | 86 |
| ODI | 164 | 2,968 | 199 |
| T20I | 91 | 1,255 | 78 |
International career, 2004 to 2021. The T20I tally includes the two World Cup-winning campaigns of 2012 and 2016.
FAQs
Which team does Dwayne Bravo coach in ILT20 Season 5?
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders. He was appointed head coach for the 2025 ILT20 season and continues in the role for Season 5.
What did Dwayne Bravo win as a player?
The 2004 Champions Trophy and the T20 World Cups of 2012 and 2016 with West Indies, plus three IPL titles as a player with Chennai Super Kings.
Which IPL team did Dwayne Bravo coach?
Chennai Super Kings, as bowling coach in 2023 and 2024. He won the title in his first season in the role.
Is Dwayne Bravo still involved with Kolkata Knight Riders?
Yes. He joined Kolkata Knight Riders as mentor for IPL 2025, with oversight of every Knight Riders franchise side, including Abu Dhabi Knight Riders.
What is Dwayne Bravo's T20 wickets record?
He was the first bowler to 600 wickets in T20 cricket, and he holds the Caribbean Premier League record with 129 wickets in 107 matches.
Conclusion
Bravo's Season 5 job is to take a side that has never reached an ILT20 final to the last stage, with Jason Holder as captain and Sunil Narine still at the core. Few coaches in the tournament arrive with a playing record to match his, and fewer still know the Knight Riders system from the inside as he does.
More coverage: the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders squad, the Season 5 schedule and the full coaches index.