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'Alex Ferguson of Ranji Trophy': Dinesh Karthik hails head coach Chandrakant Pandit as MP claim maiden title

WION Web Team
New Delhi, IndiaUpdated: Jun 26, 2022, 06:11 PM IST
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Photograph:(Twitter)

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Team India star Dinesh Karthik hailed Madhya Pradesh head coach Chandrakant Pandit after he guided his team to their maiden Ranji Trophy title on Sunday (June 26).

Madhya Pradesh defeated 41-time champions Mumbai in the final to lift their maiden Ranji Trophy title at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday (June 26). The Aditya Shrivastava-led side needed to chase down the target of 108 runs within two sessions on the fifth day of the final on Sunday and they did it with more than one session to spare to outclass domestic giants Mumbai for their first-ever title.

While a number of players starred for Madya Pradesh throughout the tournament, it is head coach Chandrakant Pandit who deserves a lot of credit for the team's memorable triumph. Pandit, one of the most successful coaches in the Indian domestic circuit, certainly knows how to win the Ranji Trophy as he has now won as six Ranji titles as head coach.

The former India player guided Mumbai to three titles, Vidarbha to two titles and Madhya Pradesh to their only Ranji Trophy title in what has been an illustrious career as a coach. Pandit has taken over as MP's head coach last year and made the team a force to reckon with in India's premier domestic competition this season.

Team India star Dinesh Karthik heaped praise on Pandit for his excellent record as a coach and compared him to the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson. The former Manchester United manager guided the English Premier League (EPL) giants to a remarkable 13 Premier League and 2 Champions League titles during his stint at Old Trafford.

"Lovely pictures @BCCI, Couldn't be happier for CHANDU sir . Amazing, Understanding personality traits, Preparing them accordingly, Using them tactically to win championships. ALEX FERGUSON of RANJI trophy #GOAT," Karthik wrote in a tweet. The likes of Wasim Jaffer, Ravi Shastri and R Ashwin also hailed Pandit for his incredible success.

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Interestingly, Pandit as captain of the Madhya Pradesh side during his playing days had come close to delivering the team's first Ranji Trophy title in the 1998-99 season. However, he missed out on becoming the first captain to win the trophy for Madhya Pradesh after losing in the final at the same Chinnaswamy Stadium back then.

However, on Sunday, Madhya Pradesh won the title after beating Mumbai to script a fairytale redemption for their head coach. Pandit said winning the title at the same ground after 23 years felt like a dream. "It is a great memory that I had left 23 years back (he lost the Ranji Trophy final as MP captain in 1998-99) and it is a blessing that I come back here, and winning this trophy was fabulous. It is emotional because I missed out as captain on the same ground," said the MP head coach.