Gautam Gambhir opens up on ‘militant coach’ Chandrakant Pandit’s KKR reign

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)mentor Gautam Gambhir has opened up on the criticism levelled against head coach Chandrakant Pandit for his 'militant style' coaching. Gambhir said his working relationship with Pandit had been good so far and that he had no clue why such things were said against him.

Former KKR all-rounderDavid Wiese recently said all was not right in the KKR dressing room during the team's struggles last season.Pandit was appointed the KKR coach after enjoying successful stints in Indian domestic circles, having won the Ranji Trophy with Mumbai, Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha. However, Wiese said Pandit's 'militant' style of coaching did not go down well with certain foreign players.

"I have not heard about any criticism. It's been early days, and my working relationship with him has been really very good. Hopefully, it will continue that way," Gambhir was quoted as saying by Times Now.

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"Whatever has been said, I have no clue about it. I think he has been pretty successful in first-class cricket, and that is the reason why he has got this opportunity. So far, it has been really good working with him," he added.

What did Wiese allege?

Speaking on theHitman for Hire: A year in the life of a franchise cricketerpodcast, Wiese said the arrival of Pandit had changed the dynamics inside the dressing room.

"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," said Wiese.

"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," said Wiese.

Earlier this month, Punjab Kings batter Ashutosh Sharma also alleged that it was Pandit who curtailed his career from going forward after the pair had a falling out.

"I would go to the gym and retire to my hotel room. I was sinking into depression and no one told me what my fault was. A new coach had joined Madhya Pradesh and he had strong likes and dislikes and despite scoring 90 odd in 45 balls in a trial match, I was dropped from the team," Ashutosh said without naming the coach.

A job offer from Railways helped Ashutosh get his cricketing career back on track and he single-handedly powered the franchise to win against Gujarat Titans by smashing a 17-ball 31-run cameo.

(With inputs from agencies)