I won’t say the most successful coach. I will say the most passionate and committed. Every coach has that kind of method and style of coaching; may be with God’s grace I am getting these results. Of course, credit goes to players who are responding to my method. I have been asked many times, what next? I am not going to decide what is next. It is what is going to come in front of me. With my passion and love for the game, I really want to serve the game in a different manner that will help the country’s cricket. Whatever is coming to me I will accept it if things are workable, suitable. I will give my best.

Whatever I have learnt from Ramakant Achrekar Sir, I am taking it forward, may be in a different way. Those days, computers were not available, he would note down points on a bus ticket. I am writing in a book. One thing sure has helped that I played my cricket in Mumbai. I spent time here in the dressing room, we were taught a different culture thanks to players from Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar, Ashok Mankad to Eknath Solkar. I am trying to carry forward the same dressing room atmosphere and that is the advantage for me. It is not a different way for Mumbai, Vidarbha or MP.

You are a strict disciplinarian. How do you bring that comfort level in the dressing room?

We have committees in the team, let them take responsibility and make decisions. Then there is a team bonding session. Then many times when I have one-to-one communication, I am soft-spoken to them. It has helped me, that without putting any pressure on them, they understood me. When I joined Madhya Pradesh, I asked a player: “you knew I was joining?” He replied: “Aap ke aane se pehle hawa ne humko bataya tha ki Chandu sir aa rahe hai (even before you arrived, the wind brought the message you were coming). There are people who have just heard (about my ways) but when they see personally they realise it’s for the right reasons. It was not that I was not serious about discipline before joining MP. The other day, Kumar Kartikeya was telling our president that I was so scared of talking to sir first, but when I started speaking to him, I understood his working style. That comfort zone develops gradually.

It’s like make Pandit the coach and win the Trophy. What is this sure shot formula?

Even I never imagined I will be part of six Ranji triumphs. If I have to go back when I had first coached the Mumbai Under-19 team... thanks to Madhav Apte, Sanjay Manjrekar, Milind Rege and Raju Kulkarni, these are the people who insisted I take up coaching. Initially I thought coaching will be easier because you have played. But playing and handling a team is different. (While coaching) I realised you have to read every mind.

So, I started recollecting why Achrekar sir used to do certain things, what difference it made to us. He was making us mentally tough. I was tough with the players but now Kartikeya is saying: “Now, we understand why you did certain things.” When they played against Mumbai in the final, they were well versed with Mumbai’s culture and attitude. To match them was not easy, they had to become mentally strong. Credit goes to the players to bring me into this position, for the way they responded.

What kind of effort do you put while handling a season?

I try to utilise the maximum number of days rather than just think about how many nets sessions. That (days) means not just spending time on the field, match simulations and practice but spending time individually, on analysing their performances. It helps me bring them to same level as my thought process. It is not that I don’t give them a break, but they will be around me, around this game. I will not allow distraction from cricket. I have Zoom meetings, keep telling them about the plans. So, I am connected to them all the time. Now, I am going to UK, I have already told them. After a week, I will be in touch with them. Any player needs a break and his space, but one week is good enough. A corporate boss may give you a break but at the same time the performance of the company has to be seen. My approach some may not like, somebody may like. I give credit to MPCA, they have fulfilled all my requests. The officials never interfered.

How do you cope with such intensity?

I never feel I am tired. What motivates me is the challenge of next day. During practice, during nets, during off-season, the challenge is that certain areas have to be worked on. If I don’t start thinking about that, it will be my downfall, or maybe I will get lethargic. I always feel, a person of my age, being with younger boys keeps me going because you feel you are one of them.

In simple words: I never feel tired. Not a day. Ask any player in my team, my door is not closed even when I am sleeping. I always keep the door open. Touchwood!

What about weekend breaks?

I never consider it, be it Saturday or Sunday. I don’t use WhatsApp because it may distract.

My wife had come for the final a day before it was to start and was staying in the same hotel and I didn’t know. She called me at 10 o’clock, that I am here. I asked, how come? She said the MPCA joint secretary had invited her for the final. I said, “ok, good night, talk to you after the final.” Yes, one has to give time to the family but because of the challenge of next day, the preparation, I don’t want to be distracted. I try to avoid meeting friends as well as I need to focus on the task at hand. It is not that I don’t like to meet friends, but during the season, probably I avoid everybody.

How does Pandit reward himself for a job well done?

That comes in the form of results. That doesn’t mean we have to win every game but I keep telling the players that whatever we have spoken about and how you react on the field is the most important thing for me. Ultimately that reward comes from the time I have spent with players—good way or harsh way. Harsh way, to motivate one as I feel one is mentally strong to take that. When that player reacts on the field and he plays well that is a reward as a coach.

How do you unwind?

I used to love to listen to songs (earlier). But during the three knockout matches, I used to get up at 2am, keep thinking about how to motivate the players. One cannot talk negative so I had to be very careful and prepare myself. There was no time for unwinding. Throughout my career, I have spent so many nights like that. This time it was so close, so the title shouldn’t slip out of our hands.

Don’t you feel satisfied that you have achieved so much?

Never. MPCA officials always tell me: “Thoda aaram to kar lo (take rest as well)”. I always replied: “Woh kya hota hey (what’s that)”. Sanjay Manjrekar always says: “You will die on the ground”. I do spend time with family and friends but during the season, I avoid.

How does your wife react to this?

Any family will always have expectations. But I must give lot of credit to my wife Mohini that she has been managing so well. Not only now but even during my playing days. I had seen my son one year after he was born and my daughter after seven months. She understood me. She is the woman behind my success. When Vidarbha were playing the final in Indore, she was reluctant to come but (Narendra) Hirwani, who is a close family friend, forced her to come to the final. She knows I don’t like distractions. Now that my kids are married, she is taking the liberty to join me during the camps. She must be finding it difficult but she always tries to encourage my passion. I always keep thinking about cricket. I accept it is unfair to her but that has become my habit. That’s what we were taught by Achrekar sir, how much he had sacrificed.

After so much success, shouldn’t you be considered for a role with the national team?

I never thought about it. It’s not a question of what I have done. My principle is simple—if something comes your way, whether to take it or not (one decides). It is not about one saying I should be there or not. If something comes, yes, I’m ready to serve. Ultimately, I’m working for Indian cricket.

Seeing your record, BCCI should be tempted to hire you? But the feedback is he is too strict for superstars.

In the Mumbai dressing room, what has been taught to us is: “never-give-up attitude, fight it off and play to win”. Same thing I’m doing, but in a different way. The impression is made by others. Probably somebody could understand me, somebody couldn’t. So, I’m not worried. In spite of that, there are associations that want me. If people didn’t like my method, nobody would have offered me a job. Every year, I get three-to-four offers. It shows that this method of mine in also useful. That’s how I see things and think positively about that.

Can you simplify this method when handling superstars?

All methods can be used everywhere…at the right time, understanding the maturity. When we say discipline, it doesn’t mean that implies everyone. But there are protocols which are always implemented, even at the higher level. My principle is how you fulfil the demand of the game and in which way. You cannot say “I will go out in the night and return at 4 o’clock and fulfil the demand of the game tomorrow”. People should understand what is discipline. Tomorrow if a U-19 or U-16 team is playing the final, I can take away their mobiles because I know their maturity level is less. But I will not do that with a state team because they are mature enough. So, there are certain demands we need to fulfil through certain discipline. If somebody takes it the other way and says: “he is very strict” then it’s not right. They need to understand I’m being strict for what.

What about IPL? How to you look at coaching in that format?

Ultimately, it’s a game of cricket. Who has decided that certain strategies won’t work in T20 that does in Ranji. The strategies may be different. In T20, you have lot of experienced international players. Couple of important points can be shared with them rather than forcing on them because understanding, grasping ability they have is much better. Sometimes, in T20 you don’t have enough time to recover. But you will always work on what the format demands. I don’t know if I will be successful or not. I never thought I will have this kind of winning record (in first-class cricket), so, why should I think now this will be difficult for me?

Why did you turn down the KKR offer?

It’s just that things didn’t work. They offered me to assist but a story was made out that I don’t want to work under a foreign coach. That’s not the case. I respect every coach—whether he is a U-14 coach or international coach. How one coach can say I don’t want to work under another coach? At that point I thought I wanted to take an entire team which if KKR or anybody would have offered I would have happily taken up. It was not that I will not take up a job with a foreign coach; for me it is working together.

Can Pandit work as an assistant or you feel you can work best as the main coach, heading the whole coaching system?

There is nothing wrong in working together. Everyone cannot be captain. Ultimately, you are serving the game in a different capacity. You have different abilities. It’s about where the franchise or anybody who is offering you feel you can fit in. If I get that kind of opportunity then I have to prove myself. Understanding the players or coaches who have played lot of cricket, they have been coaching for so many years, so with that respect there is nothing wrong in that.

How have your coaching methods evolved over the years?

I always kept it very simple. One main point is discipline, which is sacrosanct. Whatever (method) I apply is because of the cricket I played on Mumbai’s maidans. The Mumbai culture has always helped me. If tomorrow someone asks: “What is there in your coaching”, even I don’t know. Some coaches were urging me to write a book. I refused. Reason is I don’t know how I will react to a particular situation (on the field). How I will guide you... there is no certain set plan or method.

When I started night practice for Ranji Trophy at Vidarbha, lot of people questioned it. I did it with MP as well. We had four-five sessions from 9pm to 4am. There also people got confused. The reason for sessions was that mentally players are tough but your body too should react to any situation. It’s not about what time of the day you are practicing but how you are responding to that task. Players started enjoying it and demanded more sessions. But I never overdo things. I have read Michael Jordan started his training sessions at 3am sometimes. That’s how it popped in my mind and I thought of implementing that. He has mentioned that to “do those things (win tough games) our body has to be ready for 24 hours”. So that is called mental toughness.

How data driven is your coaching?

I always like to watch the videos of the opposition, my own team. From there, I tried to find out what strategy needs to be implemented. That data has to be used when? If a bowler is bowling 20 overs but has given away a lot of runs, it helps analysing where he has given away runs. If somebody has given five wickets but conceded 180 runs, then I won’t be happy. That’s how I use data. You can’t use data daily. I use it only when I need to motivate a player. My video analyst knows what all I will need and he keeps it ready.

If I’m showing something in team meeting, I’m not only showing it to that particular player but I’m also sending out a message to the entire team.