“As a player, one gets to have a closer look of the game, and that makes a lot of difference when we are compared with guys turned coaches by academics,” said Hrishikesh Kanitkar, who has been roped in as deputy to Stephen Flemings for the IPL Pune franchise, the Rising Pune Supergiants.
The Maharashtra player made his first-class debut (Ranji Trophy) against Sanjay Manjrekar-led Mumbai cricket team at Indira Gandhi Stadium, Solapur in the year in 1994–95; and retired from this beautiful game in the year 2015.
“I am honoured to be back in Pune, this time as a coach of the Pune side, the place which helped me to be a cricketer and earn name for myself and family,” said the former Maharashtra skipper who later went on to represent Rajasthan Ranji team as a senior player, and also led the same side to win Ranji Trophy in the year 2010-11.
“Yes, it a great learning opportunity and especially with Stephen Fleming as head coach, in this different mission (as a coach) I thank all the people concerned in giving me this opportunity,” said Kanitkar, who was appointed as assistant coach of Kochi Tuskers Kerala (2011) but walked out of the contract even before the IPL season began, with reasons better known to concerned people.
Former cricketers turning coaches is nothing new, and for Kanitkar, it is just following the culture. “I have been with Goa Ranji team for a year and that is where the seeds of coaching were sown, and now I am with an IPL team, which, I feel, will help me scale new heights in this field,” said Kanitkar who is one of only three batsmen to have scored 8000-plus runs in the Ranji Trophy and also the only captain in the Ranji Trophy's history to lift the Elite and Plate league titles.
Kanitkar did have a short but well-remembered stint in international cricket too—when this left-handed batsman and a right-arm offie hit a boundary when India required three runs to win from two balls in the Silver Jubilee Independence Cup final at Dhaka, against Pakistan—has been cherished by not only the pundits of the game but ordinary cricket-lovers as well.
“That is one moment, I did have my heart in my mouth, but the ‘I Can Do It’ motto helped me do what the country wanted, and that too against Pakistan. I would say this act is still fresh in everyone’s mind, all because it was the match against Pakistan, but if it had to be any other side, people would have forgotten long back,” said Kanitkar going down the memory lane.
What next for this Pune-based Indian cricketer? “All I want is to coach the Indian side, which is my next and could be the final goal in cricket. I always dreamt of getting the Indian cap which I did get and now I want to coach the Indian team,” said Kanitkar.
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