Tamil Nadu’s Ranji Trophy semifinal defeat against Mumbai has sparked a controversy after coach Sulakshan Kulkarni publicly criticized captain R Sai Kishore’s decision to bat first. Kulkarni’s comments have drawn the ire of former state stars, who believe the issue should have been handled internally.
Kulkarni claimed that the entire dressing room was shocked by Kishore’s last-minute change of plan. He had previously instructed Kishore to bowl first if they won the toss, but the captain opted to bat instead.
“If his inner voice or instinct told him that we have to bat first, there was no point in having me,” Kulkarni said. “I am an experienced coach and a Ranji Trophy-winning coach. We were playing against Mumbai in Mumbai, a place I know everything about, but he did not listen.”
Kishore has not responded to Kulkarni’s allegations. However, the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) has expressed its displeasure with the coach’s outburst.
“What he (Kulkarni) did was wrong,” said a TNCA official. “We got five outright wins with Sai Kishore’s good decision-making. You cannot blame someone for just one decision. That is not how a coach should work. In my view, Kulkarni has committed a mistake.”
Former India captain K Srikkanth condemned Kulkarni’s actions on his YouTube channel. “This is absolutely not fair,” he said. “Dear TNCA, please do not recruit such coaches from outside (the state).”
Hemang Badani, another former Tamil Nadu player, wrote on social media: “Good coaches do not do that.”
Dinesh Karthik, who captained Tamil Nadu in the past, expressed his disappointment on Twitter. “This is so wrong. This is so disappointing from the coach,” he said.
The controversy has cast a shadow over Tamil Nadu’s impressive Ranji Trophy campaign. The team had won five matches in a row before suffering the innings defeat against Mumbai.
