Credit: X
David Wiese, the former all-rounder for the Kolkata Knight Riders, was blunt in describing the issues with Chandrakant Pandit’s coaching style during their disappointing IPL 2023 campaign. The 38-year-old, who was a part of the dressing room for KKR last season, remarked that Chandrakant Pandit “is known in India as a fairly militant type of coach,” and with a reason.
In his three appearances for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2023, David Wiese scored only 21 runs at a strike rate of around 200, barely getting any opportunity to bat. He also bowled a limited number of overs for KKR last season, conceding runs at an economy over 12 runs per over without picking up a wicket.
During the Hitman for Hire: A Year in the Life of a franchise cricketer podcast, David Wiese spoke about playing under the KKR head coach, Chandrakant Pandit, from the IPL 2023, and said, “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.”
The 38-year-old went on to reveal that the KKR players, especially the foreign ones, were quite frustrated with the coaching style of Chandrakant Pandit, who also told them about how to behave, what to wear, and what to do. He stated, “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,” added David Wiese.
Notably, Chandrakant Pandit, who has been one of the most successful coaches in the Indian domestic circuit in recent years, got retained in the coaching role despite the tough outing for KKR in the IPL last season.
