Andre Russell, the explosive all-rounder, has come to the defense of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head coach Chandrakant Pandit, who has faced criticism for his coaching style. Former KKR all-rounder David Wiese had labeled Pandit’s approach as “militant,” suggesting it led to frustration among foreign players in the team during the previous IPL season.
However, Russell, a key figure in KKR’s squad, offered a contrasting perspective. “We’ve been working with him from last year. I think when you’re working with a coach for the first time, you have to make sure that you adjust to their philosophy. There have to be rules. We are professionals. So, we don’t complain,” Russell said during a pre-match press meet in Bengaluru.
“I try to do the best for this franchise. He’s been doing an amazing job, and we’ve gotten coming back as well,” he added.
Pandit, known for his disciplinarian approach, took over as KKR coach before IPL 2022 following Brendon McCullum’s departure. Wiese had criticized Pandit’s strict and regimented style, suggesting it clashed with the mindset of experienced overseas players.
Russell, however, emphasized the importance of adapting to the coach’s philosophy and maintaining professionalism. “He (Pandit) is known in India as a very militant type of coach. He is very strict, very disciplinarian that type of stuff,” Wiese had said on the podcast ‘Hitman for Hire: A year in the life of a franchise cricketer.’
“Sometimes in franchise cricket, when you have overseas guys, who’ve played all over the world, they don’t need anyone coming and telling them how they need to behave, what they need to wear and what they need to do the whole time. So, that was tough.”
Despite Wiese’s concerns, Russell’s support for Pandit suggests that the KKR dressing room is not as divided as some may have believed. The team will be hoping to put the coaching controversy behind them and focus on performing well in the upcoming IPL season.
