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The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) appointed former Indian cricketer Chandrakant Pandit as their head coach on Wednesday, August 17.
Hailed as the Sir Alex Ferguson of Indian domestic cricket, Pandit replaces former New Zealand captain Brendan McCullum, who is now with the England men's team.
KKR shared the news on their official Twitter handle, writing:
“We have a new HEAD COACH! Welcome to the Knight Riders Family, Chandrakant Pandit.”
KKR Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director (MD) Venky Mysore took the opportunity to thank former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan, who had first shared the idea of using Chandrakant Pandit in the IPL.
In a tweet, Venky Mysore wrote:
“We were listening to you Irfan Bhai.”
Interestingly, Irfan had tweeted about the possibility of Pandit taking over an IPL team way back on June 26, after the latter guided Madhya Pradesh to the Ranji title. He had written:
“Congratulations MP team for winning the Ranji Trophy. Chandrakant Pandit creates his magic once again in domestic cricket. How abt a good IPL contract for him?”
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Irfan has been working as a commentator and analyst with Star Sports India for the last few years. It's not surprising, then, that he came up with the idea of getting the services of a renowned and successful coach like Pandit for an IPL team.
However, it remains to be seen whether the mastermind of many Ranji triumphs will be able to replicate his success in the shortest format. It will be an interesting story to follow, for sure.
Chandrakant Pandit awaits new challenge with KKR in IPL 2023
Chandrakant Pandit will be looking to guide KKR to their third IPL title and end their eight-year-long trophy drought in IPL 2023. The franchise had a below-par season in IPL 2022 as they finished seventh in the points table with only six victories in 14 games.
The former wicketkeeper-batsman has a tough but exciting challenge ahead of him. His initial reaction suggests he is looking forward to the task and relishes the opportunity to work with a well-endowed IPL unit like KKR.
Pandit's statement after the announcement of his appointment read:
"It is a great honor and privilege to be given this responsibility. I have heard from players and others who have been associated with the Knight Riders, about the family culture, as well as the tradition of success that has been created.”
He added:
“I am excited about the quality of the support staff and the players who are part of the setup, and I am looking forward to this opportunity with all humility and positive expectations."
