“We are very excited that Chandu is joining the Knight Riders family to lead us through the next phase of our journey. His deep commitment to what he does and his track record of success in domestic cricket is there for everyone to see,” Mysore said.
“We are looking forward to his partnership with our skipper Shreyas Iyer, which promises to be an exciting one.”
Plans for 2023 auction
Pandit has worked with players such as Ajinkya Rahane, Venkatesh Iyer, and Shreyas Iyer and coaches such as Abhishek Nayar throughout his coaching career.
Pandit said he had made plans for the 2023 IPL auction. Sreehari Menon from Indiesport said that KKR would likely keep most of their star players and look to acquire Ben Stokes, Sam Curran, and more.
KKR had a somewhat lacklustre campaign in the IPL 2022 Mega Auction. Although the two-time IPL champion acquired Shreyas, Nitish Rana, and Pat Cummins, Menon said the team lacked depth and quality compared to other teams. Alex Hales' injury further jeopardized KKR's campaign in the 2022 season.
“Yes, I’m already on it. We’ve to make sure to get the best out of every Individual, not only one particular player. But of course, there are players who’ll be playing very key roles,” Pandit said.
During an interview with Times of India, Pandit said his auction plans would provide an advantage for KKR. He also said they would help him settle with the squad. He asserted that he had formed a good bond with several players.
“It’s obviously a great advantage. The rapport that we had for so many years, we know each other so well. As a player and as a coach, we understand each other quite well," he said.
"It’s not only Shreyas Iyer, but also Abhishek and the support staff that I have. There’s Omkar Salvi (KKR academy bowling coach) and Bharat Arun (KKR bowling coach). We all know each other quite well.”
