OTD | KKR’s head coach Chandrakant Pandit was born in 1961

Chandrakant Pandit, who was born on 30th September 1961 became the first Indian coach for KKR after the spell of five foreign coaches in the team. Chandrakant Pandit had replaced Brendon McCullum. The KKR team found it profitable to have a capable wicketkeeper, who had also won the first cap as a specialist batsman. 

After Ashish Nehra and Sanjay Bangar, Chandrakant Pandit was the third Indian to coach an IPL franchise for the 2022 IPL franchise season. He became one of the most crucial members and has been an important factor in helping the KKR team have their third title win. 

During his career, Chandrakant Pandit, also known as Chandu, has been a head coach of six teams in the Ranji Trophy, who had won with three different state units. He was the guiding figure of Madhya Pradesh, who won their maiden victory before Pandit led Mumbai. Post a wonderful winning sesh with Mumbai, Pandit shifted focus to Vidarbha, where the state team won both Ranji Trophy and Irani Cup titles in 2017-18 and 2018-19. 

Pandit as a player was also very special. He played five Test matches and 36 ODI matches for the nation during his six-year international career starting from 1986 to 1992. During his time as a player, he worked with some of the best players in the Indian history of cricket. He aimed mostly at the young talents and helped them grow as a coach. He has an exceptional knowledge of the game and the domestic cricket ecosystem. He was united with Shreyas and Venkatesh Iyer along with others like Umesh Yadav, Abhishek Nayar, and Omkar Salvi. 

Other than investing his time in the domestic arena, Pandit invested his time in the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore as well. Pandit’s unprecedented efforts and success had given him the title of being ‘Dhronacharya of Indian Cricket.’

Disclaimer: This exclusive news is based on the author’s insights, analysis, and intuition. While reviewing this information, consider the points discussed and form your own conclusions.