'Stars Frustrated, Militant Coach': Star All-Rounder Blasts KKR's Pandit

Chandrakant Pandit is a domestic cricket legend in India. Under his coaching Mumbai, Vidarbha, Madhya Pradesh enjoyed much success in the Ranji Trophy. From 2023, Pandit has been associated with Kolkata Knight Riders as coach. Under him, Kolkata Knight Riders put up a fighting show despite some top stars missing from action in IPL 2023. However, his entry was not liked by several overseas stars, according to David Wiese. The all-rounder played in three matches for KKR in IPL 2023   

"There were certain issues going on behind the scenes in the team. Guys weren't happy with certain things that were going on, and a lot of the times, it was a tough changing room. There was a new coach coming in and he liked to do things a certain way, and that didn't sit well with the players," David Wiese said 'Hitman for Hire: A year in the life of a franchise cricketer' podcast hosted by Sam Keir.

He went on to say that some of the KKR stars were frustrated under Chandrakant Pandit. 

"Guys were frustrated because a lot changed, and the coach brought in things that he thought would bring success. But as an overseas player, they sometimes don't sit well. He's known in India as a fairly militant type of coach, a strict disciplinarian. The overseas guys who've played all over the world don't need someone coming in and telling him how to behave and what to wear and what to do. I was chill with it, but there were players more stubborn than me," he added.

"As the tournament goes on, you kind of sense whether you have a shot at qualifying or not. It's not about whether you're playing; it's just about spending another couple of weeks away from family. For me personally, the result of the game didn't matter that much, but I still got pulled into personal performances."

He also mentioned Rinku Singh in the course of his conversation.

"As a player, you appreciate it when guys do well. Rinku Singh smacks five sixes - you can't not appreciate that. It's just that the result doesn't have much emphasis anymore. You don't sit there nervous about whether you're going to win. And you start investing in the guys' personal performances instead."