The Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association has shown faith in coach Chandrakant Pandit; extending his contract for two years despite the recent criticism from some players due to his authoritarian and strict approach. Pandit is also the coach of the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
Pandit has earlier recorded a successful stint as the coach of Madhya Pradesh. Under his tutelage, MP won their maiden Ranji trophy title in 2022 after defeating record champions Mumbai and reached the semi-finals of the prestigious tournament in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons.
MPCA secretary Sanjeeva Rao pointed out the remarkable growth of his state team under Pandit’s guidance as a justification for his contract extension. Notably, all the stakeholders unanimously agreed on extending his contract.
“Yes, all of us stakeholders at MPCA-the office-bearers, senior members, and our cricket committee felt that Pandit is the right person to continue in the same job, and that’s why we have hired him for two more seasons. Our cricket has benefited a lot since his arrival. Not only did we win the Ranji Trophy in 2022, but we also reached the semifinals of the under-23 and finals of the under-16. Last season, 10 of our 12 teams reached the knockouts,” Rao told The Times of India.
Rao also clarified the criticisms made on Pandit by Punjab Kings batter Ashutosh Sharma after he publicly slammed the coach for his strict approach.
“Ashutosh was brilliant for us at the Under-16 level. He had the makings of a great cricketer. We gave him enough chances, gave him a lot of matches to play, but he didn’t capitalize on them, and we had other options,” he further added.