Chandrakant Pandit tore Varun Chakravarty's full sleeves shirt to sleeveless with scissors during IPL 2023: N Jagadeesan
Former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) cricketer Narayan Jagadeesan has shared a bizarre anecdote about how coach Chandrakant Pandit cut Varun Chakravarty's full sleeves shirt with scissors during IPL 2023 on a day designated for wearing sleeveless.
After tasting plenty of success as a coach in Indian domestic cricket, Pandit was hired as KKR's head coach for the IPL 2023 season and has been retained in the role this year as well. Known as a strict disciplinarian, Pandit's coaching methods have been in the news recently.
While on air during the KKR vs Delhi Capitals IPL 2024 game in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday, April 3, Jagadeesan made a stunning claim about Pandit's behavior. Speaking on Star Sports (Tamil Commentary), he said (as translated to English):
“Last year in KKR camp Chandrakant Pandit said that day was sleeveless day and that day Varun wore full sleeves accidentally. Chandrakant Pandit called him aside and tore the shirt to sleeveless with scissors."
Kolkata Knight Riders had a disappointing IPL 2023 season, finishing seventh in the points table. They won six games and lost eight, ending with 12 points.
"It was a tough changing room" - David Wiese on Chandrakant's Pandit's coaching style
Earlier, another former KKR player, David Wiese had also shared his thoughts on Pandit's coaching style. He claimed that the franchise dressing room was an uncomfortable place, as some players were not happy with Pandit's coaching methods.
On the 'Hitman for Hire: A year in the life of a franchise cricketer podcast', the Namibia all-rounder 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."
"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," Wiese added.
The Namibian all-rounder played only three games for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2023, scoring 21 runs at a strike rate of 190.91. He failed to pick up any wicket with his medium pace.