IPL 2020: KKR CEO claims removing Sourav Ganguly in 2011 NOT tough for him as perceived

Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly is known for his great leadership qualities. The cricketer, who led the Indian team during a tough time, has also been credited with bringing in younger players into the squad and changing the mentality of players. Several cricketers such as Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh have talked about the importance Sourav Ganguly had on their careers.

However, The Prince of Kolkata failed to translate the same success during his stint at Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. Sourav Ganguly took charge of Kolkata Knight Riders during the initial seasons amidst great fanfare. But the team struggled to perform during Sourav Ganguly’s tenure, with the team finishing sixth in 2008 and 2010 as well under his leadership.

Following the poor results, Sourav Ganguly was not retained by KKR’s management after 2010. Now, 10 years after Sourav Ganguly’s removal, KKR CEO Venky Mysore has shed light on the experience of removing him as captain.

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KKR CEO opens up on Sourav Ganguly’s removal

Making an appearance on the latest episode of ‘The RK Show’ on YouTube, the KKR CEO explained that the decision to not continue with Sourav Ganguly involved two parts. According to him, not retaining Sourav Ganguly didn’t seem like a big decision to him as he was unattached emotionally, having just joined the Kolkata Knight Riders back then. Mysore admitted that if he had been part of the set up for two-three years, the same decision would have been much tougher for him.

The KKR CEO said that while the decision was tough on the owners, it wasn’t so for him as he had come from the outside. He also admitted that he was in charge of the decision, as he was given the mandate for the same.Talking about the decision to drop Sourav Ganguly, Mysore recalled that during that moment he told the owners that while it may not work out and they may fall flat on their faces, it is a different approach that he is proposing. During the interview, the KKR MD also praised the owners of the franchise, i.e. Red Chillies Entertainment, Jay Mehta and Juhi Chawla, for their constant support.

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Elaborating further on his role in the Kolkata Knight Riders setup, Venky Mysore said that he is not someone who is a lone ranger who wants to do his own things. Rather, he was someone who was given both autonomy and accountably and he used to report to the boards as well. He also praised the board for backing him during the decision and taking the heat and flak for a decision which was not theirs. While concluding, Venky Mysore reiterated the fact that the decision to remove Sourav Ganguly was much tougher for the owners than him.

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