Bangar parts ways with Kings XI Punjab, will weigh options
MUMBAI: India batting coach Sanjay Bangar has parted ways with IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab. Appointed assistant coach in 2014 before being promoted to head coach, Bangar took the decision to quit last month.
“The decision was taken in the last week of November. I offered my resignation to the (Kings XI) board and they recently accepted my resignation,” Bangar told HT on Friday.
Bangar was reportedly involved in an argument with a Kings XI co-owner Preity Zinta in the last season where the team finished eighth. Did the incident have a bearing?
“It is a professional set-up. The IPL is a model which is run on producing results. In the course of the tournament, there are debates and deliberations. You take certain decisions and there are some which are right and there are some which don’t go your way.
It is all a part and parcel. We as professionals need to accept this thing. (For the last) two seasons we didn’t get the results we wanted. It was time to move on and let fresh ideas come in,” said Bangar.
The soft-spoken Mumbaikar has not decided on his next move as far as coaching an IPL team is concerned.
“I will weigh in my options. Being involved with the Indian team involves a lot of travel. I haven’t been in talks with any franchise so far. We will wait and see,” he said.
GOOD MEMORIES
Bangar produced a magical season for Kings XI in his first year where the team qualified for the final for the first time. “It’s been a fabulous journey. It gives me immense satisfaction to see the players whom I picked when they were in their formative years to benefit from the exposure. There are a number of players who were able to showcase their talent like Manan Vohra, Sandeep Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, who wasn’t getting the opportunities.
“Axar Patel, who was IPL’s best young cricketer, went on to play for India. Their progress gives me immense pride. We topped the league and reaching the final was the best part of my time with Kings XI,” said Bangar.
Coaching an IPL team has helped Bangar in his India stint as well.
“You don’t have much time to work on the players during the IPL. It is about man management of players of various international credentials, managing young players and finding the right balance.
It is a very profit-driven model where cost has to be managed, the dynamics of the auction need to be understood and manage a large group of players in a short time. Those are the valuable lessons I have learnt,” said Bangar.