"Will the same strategy work with international players?" - Aakash Chopra on Chandrakant Pandit's appointment as KKR head coach

Aakash Chopra is unsure if Chandrakant Pandit's strict approach as a coach will work with international players in the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) setup.

The Kolkata-based franchise appointed Pandit as their new head coach, taking over from Brendon McCullum. The former Indian cricketer has enjoyed an exceptional record as a coach at the domestic level, guiding relatively low-profile sides like Vidarbha and Madhya Pradesh to the Ranji Trophy title.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra was slightly skeptical about Pandit's tough taskmaster approach working for KKR, elaborating:

"The story is good because Chandrakant Pandit's style of coaching is that he scolds the players a lot and makes the kids run a lot. I totally agree with Harsha Bhogle's tweet. The strictness works with small kids at times but will the same strategy work with the international players?"

Chopra highlighted that the hugely successful coach will have to be more lenient with the big-ticket players in the KKR lineup. The cricketer-turned-commentator said:

"It is not that he would not be knowing some other strategy but it is going to be a very interesting mix because in the IPL you fondle more and scold less because you get a lot of established players."

Apart from helping Vidarbha and Madhya Pradesh win the Ranji Trophy twice and once respectively, Pandit took Mumbai to the domestic first-class title on three occasions. The 60-year-old is known for his no-nonsense approach and has even been labeled the Alex Ferguson of Indian cricket.

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"I think they will have to get things in order" - Aakash Chopra on KKR's indifferent run in IPL 2022

KKR finished seventh in IPL 2022 [P/C: iplt20.com]

Chopra pointed out that Pandit will be looking to turn around KKR's fortunes from last year. He stated:

"The season Kolkata had last time, I think they will have to get things in order. So Chandrakant Pandit for that, congratulations to him. It's always a step in a very good direction when Indian coaches get the designation of head coaches."

Chopra concluded by expressing happiness about the appointment of Indians as head coaches in the IPL. The 44-year-old observed:

"Of course, Anil Kumble has been there for quite some time. Sanjay Bangar is a head coach, which is a fantastic thing, because he was also a batting coach of the Indian cricket team. That does make a slight difference. So Sanjay Bangar, Chandrakant Pandit, Anil Kumble - things are looking very nice."

Chandrakant Pandit will be the first Indian coach at the helm of the Kolkata Knight Riders. With Ashish Nehra leading the Gujarat Titans to the IPL 2022 title, more franchises will be inclined to onboard domestic coaches in prime positions in their setup.