Gautam Gambhir got freedom from KKR owners what I had asked for in IPL 1: Sourav Ganguly

Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly recently spoke about his captaincy stint for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) during the initial days of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The current Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President started out as KKR captain in the inaugural season of the IPL, only to lose the role in the following season. He once again assumed KKR leadership in 2010 which turned out to be his last appearance for the franchise. Following Sourav Ganguly’s removal, the franchise roped in the then Indian opening batsman Gautam Gambhir, who remained KKR’s captain between 2011 and 2017.

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BCCI President Sourav Ganguly on difference between him and Gautam Gambhir as KKR captain

Sourav Ganguly recently interacted with Gautam Bhattacharya on his YouTube channel. In the interview, Ganguly talked about Gautam Gambhir’s recent comments about the time when he was KKR captain and got full freedom from the franchise's owners to operate the team in his style. Sourav Ganguly revealed that he had also asked for ‘no interference’ from the KKR franchise in the inaugural edition. However, he was not given the same luxury from the owners as they gave Gautam Gambhir when he was the captain. 

It is also believed that Sourav Ganguly's exit from KKR was hastened further during an incident in the IPL 2010 game against the erstwhile Deccan Chargers. Ganguly scored a fifty in that game which KKR won but his celebration in which he thumped his chest, presumably in the direction of the KKR VIP box, had infuriated the team management.

According to Sourav Ganguly, the best franchises in the IPL have been those “that have left the team to the players”. He cited the examples of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians success in the tournament as the two teams have been the most successful in IPL’s history in terms of title victories. Speaking about Mumbai Indians, Ganguly said that “no one goes up to Rohit Sharma and tells him to select certain players”.

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Sourav Ganguly talks about his experience as KKR captain, watch video

(Video credits: Gautam Bhattacharya/YouTube)

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Gautam Gambhir as KKR captain

Under the leadership of Gautam Gambhir between 2011 and 2017, KKR went on to win the coveted title in 2012 and 2014. The stylish left-hander was also a prolific batsman for the franchise and is currently their leading run-scorer with 3,345 runs across 121 innings. Gautam Gambhir made his final KKR appearance in 2017 before joining Delhi Capitals for 2018. KKR is now helmed by veteran wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik.

Sourav Ganguly’s stance on IPL 2020

The IPL 2020 was originally intended to commence on March 29. However, the ongoing coronavirus global pandemic prompted the Sourav Ganguly-led BCCI committee to indefinitely postpone the tournament. Recent reports indicate that BCCI is now considering several measures to organise the event in September-November later this year, should the T20 World Cup gets shifted to a later date. A final confirmation call will be taken by Sourav Ganguly only after the International Cricket Council (ICC) makes their stance clear on T20 World Cup 2020.

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Image credit: IPLT20.COM and PTI