“Sometimes we just ignore that” - KKR head coach on ‘noise’ factor at Eden Gardens ahead of KKR vs CSK IPL 2025 match

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head coach Chandrakant Pandit asserted that his players will be focused on the task, and not be fussed over the kind of reception MS Dhoni receives at the Eden Gardens. The veteran wicket-keeper will lead the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 clash at the iconic venue on Wednesday, May 7.

MS Dhoni and the Eden Gardens share a special connection as he recorded his first first-class century during the 2000-01 Ranji Trophy season while playing for Bihar. He also went on to score two Test centuries at the stadium in his international red-ball career.

The last time CSK turned up at the Eden Gardens back in IPL 2023, the entire stadium had turned up in yellow, which was a strange deviation from the trademark purple.

MS Dhoni had made it a point to thank the crowd for the support, who turned up in numbers to witness the veteran, thinking that it might be his last appearance.

"I will just say thanks for the support, they came in big numbers. Most of these guys will come in a KKR jersey next time. They are trying to give me a farewell, so thanks a lot to the crowd," Dhoni had said during the post-match presentation after the 49-run win (via Cricbuzz).

Although it did not prove to be his final appearance at the iconic venue, the upcoming clash in IPL 2025 might just be the case. A sea of yellow is once again expected to temporarily take over the Eden Gardens, but Chandrakant Pandit reckons that the players can automatically tune it out to make it a non-factor.

“I think during these kinds of games, every player and every team is always focused on their own game. I mean, that’s sometimes like, if a batter is batting and there is so much noise around and if you ask that batter, probably he will say that ‘I didn’t hear anything about it'," KKR head coach Pandit said during the pre-match press conference. (via News 18)

“It was the same case with me when people used to tell me so much noise around and how you can focus. But sometimes we just ignore that noise automatically. So, obviously when you are focused on the game, it does not matter so much if you ask me," he added.

According to reports, fans were left disappointed as MS Dhoni did not turn up for practice ahead of the fixture.

MS Dhoni is tasked with ending CSK's season on a high, while KKR on thin ice in race for IPL 2025 playoffs

After dealing with multiple issues all at once, with injuries and team combination being a few, CSK finally seem to strike a chord. The franchise were competitive in their recent two matches against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), but could not get the points they wanted.

KKR, on the other hand, won against RR by the barest of margins to remain alive in the race for the playoffs. Embroiled in a mid-table muddle, even a minor slip-up could lead to their elimination.