Chandrakant Pandit Spills on Toughest Job as KKR Head Coach: 'Everyone's Mindset Is...'

Indian Premier League 2024 winners Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) head coach Chandrakant Pandit expressed his joy after the title win saying it an important victory which has been brought by a collective effort from the side. Pandit also remembered his childhood coach late Ramakant Achrekar saying the techniques he has learnt from the latter have benefited him while coaching KKR. He spoke with ETV Bharat's Nikhil Bapat in an exclusive interaction.

Hyderabad: It has been nearly a week since Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) won their third Indian Premier League Trophy at the MA Chidambaram Stadium and their head coach Chandrakant Pandit says that bringing players' mindsets on the same page is important.

Pandit asserted that IPL is such a tournament where players and support staff across the globe gather to achieve one goal and hence bringing all of them to the same page is crucial. KKR, who banked on their fiery batting line-up throughout the season, emerged triumphant in the IPL 2024 final against Pat Cummins-led Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets.

"Everyone learns in the T20 format, we get to learn after every ball, as the format is different and everyone's mindset is different. The mindset of domestic teams is different but the culture is the same, but here the culture and mindset of players is different, as players come here from different cultures and also Indian players come from different states. To bring their mindset on a page is important," Pandit told ETV Bharat about the toughest thing as a head coach.

Speaking about the title win, Pandit said, "This is definitely an important win. The IPL is a prestigious tournament and players and coaches across the world take part in it. It is a big league as players from abroad also play. It is a different feeling (to win an IPL title)."

"I just want to say every tournament has its own value, the Ranji Trophy, which is a domestic tournament is equally prestigious, as it is the best (tournament) in the country. Both the tournaments are different but I will say winning any tournament is prestigious," the 62-year-old added.

Pandit also mentioned that he didn't expect the final to be a one-sided game and he quipped, "I never thought. I didn't expect but it can happen (in sports) that one team that was in the first two places in the points table, defeated Rajasthan Royals after losing to us (in Qualifier 1) and so their confidence was high. I expected the final to be a close game as we were also playing well, but it was a part of the game. And these things happen," Pandit concluded.

Pandit was also effusive in his praise for KKR mentor Gautam Gambhir, who already led the side to 2 IPL titles and assistant coach Abhishek Nayar. "There are different types of coaches in a domestic team or a franchise, bowling coach, batting coach, mentor, all of involved and it is a collective effort. Abhishek Nayar has worked extremely hard. Not during the IPL, but he was involved with the practice of KKR players that happens at their Academy in Mumbai. So naturally, it has an impact on the players."

"Gautam Gambhir has a rich experience, he has played for India, (has won two) World Cups, won the IPL (as a player), he brought experience into the team and it was a motivation for the players when he shared his experiences, and that benefits the players," he said.

Kolkata Knight Riders thrashed Sunrisers Hyderabad by 8 wickets in a lop-sided summit clash. The entire world knows late Ramakant Achrekar being the coach of legendary Sachin Tendulkar but among his other students were Chandrakant Pandit, Pravin Amre, and Vinod Kambli, who all played for India.

Chandrakant Pandit is the most successful domestic coach in India, having won multiple Ranji Trophy titles has a coach. He coached Mumbai two times, Vidarbha two times and maiden Madhya Pradesh to Ranji Trophy wins. He added another feather to his illustrious cap when he coached the Shah Rukh Khan co-owned KKR to their third IPL title.

"I remember Sir (late Ramakant Achrekar), particularly while watching the game if one commits a mistake or is undisciplined, what Sir would have said. The lessons I have learnt from him, it has benefited me a lot. I can only say that Sir's coaching style is now aided by gadgets, that time they used to write with a pen, but now things are being typed (using a computer or laptop), and this is the difference. Whenever I remember Sir, I speak to his elder daughter and I express my feelings to her. This is Sir's blessings," added Pandit.

"When I started coaching, I had gone to seek his blessings, that time he had said you will be there after me. This was his blessing (to me)," recalled Pandit, who was a former India wicket-keeper and batter.

The former stumper also recalled the contribution of late Ashok Mankad in his journey. "I also always remember the late Mr Ashok Mankad, who groomed me as a captain from my U-19 days, where I was given responsibility to lead Mafatlal in the Buchi Babu tournament in Chennai, in which there were seven ex-international players like Brijesh Patel, Dhiraj Parsana, Parthasarathy Sharma, Ghulam Parkar, Yograj Singh, and Ashok Mankand. The strategy, the planning, how to get the best out of the players and how to keep the team together with a happy environment, I learned from Mr Mankad. I am sure both Ramakant Achrekar Sir and Ashok Mankad would have been happy with my growth," Pandit concluded.

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