MUMBAI: When this IPL began, Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) coach
Chandrakant Pandit
wasn’t going through a pleasant time, with a few players questioning his “dictatorial” coaching style. Pandit had the last laugh on Sunday. In an exclusive interview with TOI, Pandit explained what makes him a successful coach.
Excerpts...
After coaching Mumbai, Vidarbha and Madhya Pradesh to Ranji titles, what does an IPL crown mean to you?
It’s a great, special and a very different feeling.
This is a high-pressure, prestigious international-level tournament. There’s continuous travelling and you have to maintain that winning momentum. There are a lot of ups and downs. It’s a long journey. You face many obstacles, and to bounce back from them feels something different for the team.
What do you think makes you such a successful coach?
I always believe in discipline. There’s a routine that I always follow. Respecting the game is most important. I don’t go above the game, and never allow the others to do that.
Recently, a few players had criticised your coaching approach...
I always stick to my style of working. I don’t get distracted or react to that because you cannot keep everyone happy. I’ve been coaching for almost 25 years now; however, I’m also changing a little with the new generation and understanding them better. This season was more relaxed because I knew what was important for the team.
How would you describe mentor Gautam Gambhir’s role in the win?
His presence in the dugout was a great motivation for everyone. It was a great boost for us. He came in with a lot of cricketing experience. He’s been a part of the IPL for so many years. We took all the decisions collectively.
KKR captain Shreyas Iyer has been very impressive, leading from the front despite losing his BCCI contract...
I would give a lot of credit to Shreyas. He’s been a fantastic captain, very calm and cool. He was receptive to our suggestions and handled the team well on and off the field. With KKR, he showed the qualities which make him worthy for India captaincy in the future.
How did you motivate Shreyas?
Any player will be a little disappointed with that (BCCI contract snub). However, that should not affect his performance. Whenever we would discuss anything, we would never touch upon that point. We were clear that the task at hand was more important. I remember that he told me: ‘Sir, I’ll prove it.’ The way he has batted in this IPL, he now seems to be a more matured, sensible batsman.
Mitchell Starc was struggling initially...
It’s about the plan that we are expecting him to execute. He’s such a big, experienced player. I could make out that he’s highly committed. We discussed about trying to come round the wicket at times. He accepted our suggestion and tried it out too in a match. He’s a very humble man. He was always there to discuss anything with us and was very receptive.
Assistant coach Abhishek Nayar too came in for a lot of praise...
Nayar’s contribution was huge, while Bharat Arun (bowling coach) and Carl Crowe (spin-bowling coach) deserve credit for the bowlers’ fine show. Nayar conducts our camps well. He spends time throughout the year with our domestic players. Whenever they are free, our domestic players come to Mumbai for a camp with us. It’s not necessary that 15 players have to be there for us to have a camp.
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