KKR coach Chandrakant Pandit tells players to 'ignore' noise around MS Dhoni: 'It doesn't matter...'

Even as the Eden Gardens crowd prepares for what could be MS Dhoni’s farewell appearance at the venue, Kolkata Knight Riders head coach Chandrakant Pandit insists his players are blocking out the emotion to stay locked in on their playoff push. With Chennai Super Kings already eliminated, it’s the defending champions KKR who have more than just sentiment riding on this contest.

The Knight Riders sit precariously on 11 points from as many matches and must win all three of their remaining games to stay alive in the playoff race. And while nostalgia around Dhoni’s possible final appearance in Kolkata may stir emotions, Pandit is adamant that the team remains unaffected by the surrounding noise.

“I think during these kinds of games, every player and every team is always focused on their own game,” Pandit said on the eve of the high-stakes match.

“I mean, that's sometimes like, if a batter is batting and there is so much noise around and if you ask that batter, probably he will say that 'I didn't hear anything about it.’”

Drawing from personal experience, Pandit added: “It was the same case with me when people used to tell me so much noise around and how you can focus. But sometimes we just ignore that noise automatically. So, obviously when you are focused on the game, it does not matter so much if you ask me.”

Pandit on KKR's outings

While focus may be intact, execution hasn’t always followed. KKR’s batting has blown hot and cold throughout the season, contributing to their inconsistent results. Still, Pandit brushed aside suggestions of pressure.

“Not really (feeling the pressure),” he said. “I don't want to go back. We always believe that we have the best batting lineup, it unfortunately didn’t click. Hope it will do justice in the next three games."

“We know the ability of every individual player. We believe in them. To maintain that, you have to give them a lot of confidence, make sure they believe in themselves.”

He stressed positivity is key in must-win situations: “Always better to tell the boys what positives you have done. It helped you to win the game and you got to carry that. The strength that you have, rather than thinking about the next three games.”

“Looking at the last two games, yes of course (we are peaking). We look ahead to the other two games, very much confident that we will qualify. This is the beauty of this tournament. Ups and downs will be there in a two-month journey.”