Met Mr. Shah Rukh Khan before IPL 2012 but couldn't agree to work under foreign coach: Chandrakant Pandit

Rarely in cricket does one see a coach being the talk of the town after their team’s triumph, but Chandrakant Pandit’s fascinating story has merited all the accolades he is getting. Pandit’s Madhya Pradesh side defeated a strong Mumbai side in the finals to lift their maiden Ranji Trophy at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. In the latest turn of events, the former Indian cricketer revealed an incident about meeting Shahrukh Khan in 2012.

The wicketkeeper-batter lifted his sixth Ranji Trophy as a coach this year after winning three titles with Mumbai and two with Vidarbha, previously. An influential figure in the domestic circuit, Pandit has never been associated with the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL). The former wicketkeeper-batter suggested that he could get a role with one of the franchises if he makes a call or two, but that isn’t his style.

He recalled an incident when he met KKR’s principal owner and Bollywood icon Shahrukh Khan ahead of the IPL 2012 season. He was approached for a coaching role in the team, but he rejected it since he did not want to work under a foreign coach.

“I met Mr. Shah Rukh Khan back then, but somehow I couldn’t bring myself to work under a foreign coach,” he said as quoted by Hindustan Times.

Notably, Shahrukh’s KKR went on to win their maiden title under the Australian head coach Trevor Bayliss in the 2012 season.

I have always felt that I had left something back over here: Chandrakant Pandit

Pandit had previously won the Ranji title five times as a coach but this one was more memorable than any of those as there was poetic justice to his side’s triumph this year. Back in his playing days, he had led Madhya Pradesh to the 1999 Ranji final but they were defeated by Karnataka at the same venue. 23 years later, he finally got his redemption and shared his feelings about the whole story.

“Every trophy gives satisfaction but this one is special. I couldn’t do it as an MP captain years back (23 years). All these years, I have always felt that I had left something back over here. That’s the reason I am a bit more excited and emotional about it,” the 60-year-old added.