Pandit resigns as coach of Mumbai

In what has been a tumultuous week for Mumbai cricket, Chandrakant Pandit, their coach who revived their fortunes and guided them to two consecutive Ranji Trophy titles, has resigned and has been replaced by Karsan Ghavri, the former Indian allrounder who was coaching Bengal. Pandit's exit comes in the wake of the news that Sairaj Bahutule, Mumbai's captain, might move to Maharashtra from next season.

After taking over the job from Lalchand Rajput in 2001, when Mumbai's stranglehold over the Ranji Trophy had considerably loosened, Pandit formed a successful combination with Paras Mhambrey and managed to clinch the title in 2002. There was more silverware to follow in the next year as he and Sairaj Bahutule extended Mumbai's dominance with clinical performances throughout the season. Mumbai, under the same duo, were in line for a hat-trick of triumphs last season but lost out in a thrilling semi-final showdown against Punjab.

Despite the glory achieved during his reign, there was always a lurking friction between Pandit and the Mumbai Cricket Association. While he was admired for the passion and street-smartness that he brought to the side, there was also a feeling among the establishment that Pandit got more than his share of media attention and pocketed more credit that he deserved. There were times last season when he hinted at quitting and Pandit said it was always on his mind. "Throughout last season I was thinking about it," he told Cricinfo. "I guess four years can be a long time and it's time to move on."

He was happy that he had been involved in moulding the side into a spirited unit but was concerned about the lack of young talent in Mumbai. "It's been a worry for a while," he said. "We haven't seen too many youngsters take their opportunities and cement their place. Now, if the older players move on to different sides, the youngsters will not have anyone to guide them. It's a big problem."

Pandit's replacement, Ghavri, managed the Ranji Trophy winning Mumbai side in 1993-94 but he will have a huge task ahead of him in the following season. Last season's semi-final setback proved that Mumbai were no longer the invincible force in the domestic circuit and with vital players, like Bahutule, being linked to other states, they might have to first find the right combination. With teams like Maharashtra investing on bolstering their side with a foreign coach and out-station players, and teams like Punjab and Railways improving rapidly, Mumbai's dominance might just be coming to an end.