Former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-rounder David Wiese has shared insights into the atmosphere within the team’s dressing room during the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) season.
Despite being two-time champions, KKR faced challenges in the absence of regular captain Shreyas Iyer and had a difficult campaign, finishing seventh in the standings with 12 points from 14 matches, thus missing out on the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
Wiese, likely brought in as a substitute for Andre Russell, participated in only three matches. Limited to a supporting role, he scored 21 runs with a strike rate of 190.91 and did not manage to take any wickets.
Namibia’s prominent all-rounder has disclosed that the atmosphere inside the dressing room wasn’t entirely positive, and it wasn’t solely due to the team’s inconsistent performance.
During an appearance on the “Hitman for Hire: A year in the life of a franchise cricketer” podcast hosted by Sam Keir, he mentioned:
“There were certain issues going on behind the scenes in the team. Guys weren’t happy with certain things that were going on, and a lot of the times, it was a tough changing room. There was a new coach coming in and he liked to do things a certain way, and that didn’t sit well with the players.”
Chandrakant Pandit has enjoyed considerable success as a coach in Indian domestic cricket, but at times, he has faced criticism for adhering too closely to traditional methods.
Some players have allegedly voiced dissatisfaction with his coaching approach, and Wiese revealed that such sentiments were echoed by a portion of the KKR dressing room.
“Guys were frustrated because a lot changed, and the coach brought in things that he thought would bring success. But as an overseas player, they sometimes don’t sit well. He’s known in India as a fairly militant type of coach, a strict disciplinarian.”
“The overseas guys who’ve played all over the world don’t need someone coming in and telling him how to behave and what to wear and what to do. I was chill with it, but there were players more stubborn than me.”
David Wiese offers insight on team morale post-playoff elimination
KKR initially showed promise for playoff contention by winning two of their first three matches. However, a downturn midway through the season resulted in four consecutive losses, signaling that other teams had surged ahead in the competition.
David Wiese provided an intriguing perspective on the atmosphere within an IPL dressing room when playoff qualification is uncertain. He noted that while the outcome of matches loses significance, players prioritize seizing opportunities to establish their reputation.
“As the tournament goes on, you kind of sense whether you have a shot at qualifying or not. It’s not about whether you’re playing; it’s just about spending another couple of weeks away from family. For me personally, the result of the game didn’t matter that much, but I still got pulled into personal performances.”
“As a player, you appreciate it when guys do well. Rinku Singh smacks five sixes – you can’t not appreciate that. It’s just that the result doesn’t have much emphasis anymore. You don’t sit there nervous about whether you’re going to win. And you start investing in the guys’ personal performances instead.”
The Knight Riders began their IPL 2024 season positively with a thrilling victory over the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Eden Gardens. Their next match is against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday, March 29.
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