IPL 2018 | We were hoping to get Gautam Gambhir back in the auction, says KKRâs CEO
IPL
Kolkata Knight Ridersâ CEO and managing director Venky Mysore has revealed that they wanted to buy Gautam Gambhir back in the auction by using RTM, but the skipper wanted different challenges. Venky also claimed that their first policy during the mega-auction was to pick the team first then skipper.
Gambhir took KKR to two titles during his stay with the franchise and was one of the most popular figures among the fans. However, ahead of the mega-auction, the franchise surprisingly decided not to retain him and didnât show any interest whatsoever in buying the successful Indian opener in the auction. While it had infuriated many fans, KKR CEO and managing director Venky Mysore
âRetention rules made it difficult for us to retain more than two players. (KKR retained Andre Russell and Sunil Narine). So we were hoping to get him back in the auction even if it meant using an RTM (right-to-match option). But I think he wanted a different challenge,â Venky said as quoted by Hindustan Times.
âWe were lucky to have picked Gautam Gambhir and subsequently appoint him as our captain⌠We were perhaps one bid away from not getting him.â
While KKR has a good combination of young and experienced players, they didn't have any experienced captaincy material and it was believed that either Dinesh Karthik or Robin Uthappa would take up the role. The franchise decided to go with the more experienced Karthik and Mysore explained the logic behind the same.
âOne of our objectives was to achieve change which Karthik represents as heâs new to KKR and brings a fresh perspective. At the same time, we wanted continuity as well, which Robin represents as he has been with KKR since 2014. So, we feel we have the best of both worlds,â said Venky on Thursday.
âCricket is not yet ready for radical change, but these days the coach, assistant coaches and analysts play a crucial role along with the captain. There is a playbook approach which includes, among other things, a lot of planning ahead of the game with inputs from analysts and coaches.
âAlso (from the dugout) the captain has pretty solid inputs. Given the short format, rarely does one see many âgeniusâ moves from a captain that happen on the field like they probably happen in longer formats.â
The 11th edition of the cash-rich league forced all the sides to go through some major team changes as they had to recognize their core players fast. Ahead of the mega-auction, franchises had to plan a lot and Mysore claimed that if more than 50% of the requirements would meet in the event then it can be considered as a good deal, but rued their failure to pick Manish Pandey.
âThey say if you get 70% of what you wanted from the auction, you should be happy. I think we did better than 70%. The one surprise was the price at which Manish Pandey went. We would have liked to get him back but we needed to be unemotional, otherwise, it would have messed up the rest of the calculations.â
Sunil Narine has been reported for a suspect bowling action in the Pakistan Super League and it was not the first time that he was reported for the same. While talking about his importance in the team, Mysore said, âNo one has gone through as much as Sunil has in having to remodel his action and still come back and be effective. When he doesnât take wickets, he creates pressure and helps bowlers from the other end to get wickets. He is clearly a force to reckon with.â
