Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head coach has urged his team to tune out MS Dhoni frenzy ahead of their crucial IPL 2025 encounter against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on May 7. As the iconic Eden Gardens gears up for a potentially poignant moment, what many anticipate could be the final appearance of the legendary MS Dhoni at this iconic venue, the defending champions have their sights set on the task at hand. Head coach Chandrakant Pandit has emphasised that his players are deliberately shielding themselves from the emotional undercurrents, and have their eyes hooked on just one goal, i.e playoffs. For KKR, the stakes of this encounter extend far beyond mere sentiment, particularly with CSK now out of contention for the playoffs.
Chandrakanth Pandit wants KKR players to diffuse the noise around MS Dhoni
Currently positioned with 11 points from 11 matches, the Ajinkya Rahane-led side finds themselves in a precarious situation as far as playoff qualification is concerned. To keep their hopes alive, they need have a herculean task to perform, which is to win all three of their remaining fixtures. While the air in Kolkata may be thick with nostalgia surrounding Dhoni's possible farewell, Pandit remains resolute that his team will not be swayed by the external buzz, ensuring their attention remains firmly fixed on securing a much-needed win.
“I think during these kinds of games, every player and every team is always focused on their own game 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,” Pandit said in the pre-match press conference.
“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,” he added.
Despite their steadfast focus on the crucial playoff push, KKR haven't had a consistent show in the ongoing IPL 2025 so far. Their batting lineup, in particular, has experienced fluctuations in form throughout the season, a key factor contributing to their up-and-down results. Nevertheless, head coach Chandrakant Pandit has dismissed any notion that the team is feeling undue pressure as they navigate this critical juncture of the tournament.
“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 added.
Pandit wants his team to dwell on the positive they have done so far in the season which will only help them win matches.
“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,” he added.
Talking about KKR versus CSK head-to-head record in IPL, out of the 31 matches played between both the teams, Kolkata have won on 11 occasion while Chennai have emerged victorious in 19 ties.