Asst coach Malolan clinches CPL title with St Kitts & Nevis
In just a matter of a season, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots has impressively gone from wooden spoon winner to champion in the Caribbean Premier League.
A year on from finishing a lowly sixth in the eighth edition in Trinidad and Tobago, Patriots clinched its long-awaited maiden crown on its own patch. In the final episode of a thrilling CPL 2021 season at a halffull Warner Park on Wednesday, St Kitts and Nevis edged out St Lucia Kings by three wickets to send its fans into frenzy.
One of the masterminds behind the titanic transformation of the franchise was assistant and strategy coach Malolan Rangarajan.
The Chennai-based Malolan, a key member of the backroom that was led by head coach Simon Helmot in CPL Season 9, has been associated with SKNP since
2020 but couldn’t make the trip to the Caribbean last year.
“When we didn’t perform well in the previous edition, I took it personally. So, I am absolutely stoked to have won the CPL title this time around and contributed in whatever way possible. The success we have achieved is the fruit of all the hard work we put in before and during the tournament,” Malolan told DT Next from St Kitts.
“The players and the support staff worked well together from the first day. I cannot ask for more. I am extremely fortunate to have got the opportunity to be a part of this franchise. From a cultural standpoint, the dressing room atmosphere was pretty different in comparison to what I have experienced so far. I had a refreshing experience while working for SKNP,” added Malolan after bagging his first silverware as coach.
Boasting of the self-proclaimed ‘Universe Boss’ Chris Gayle and ‘Champion’ Dwayne Bravo in its CPL 2021 squad, Patriots wasn’t short of star power. Malolan said that he was fortunate to share the St Kitts and Nevis dressing room with some of the legends of the game.
“I was lucky. Both Gayle and Bravo are humble and grounded. They always maintain the same intensity. They want to win each and every match for the team. I must give a lot of credit to our skipper Bravo as he brought the best out of the youngsters.”
Up next for Malolan is the Indian Premier League Phase 2 assignment in the United Arab Emirates with Royal Challengers Bangalore, where he is the fielding coach and chief scout.