Gujarat Lions and Rising Pune Supergiants were the two new teams introduced in the 9th edition of the IPL in place of now defunct Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals. Gujarat Lions (GL), which is the first team to represent the state in the Indian Premier League was bought by Director of Intex Technologies, Keshav Bansal.
Bansal, who is the youngest ever IPL owner at 25 years of age, made his way into the cash-rich IPL after a lot of work and effort by him and his team at Intex.
“As an owner, my duty is to take care of the managerial aspects, whereas the cricketing matters are handled by the coach and captain. I don’t get involved in team meetings.
“I only meet them after they are done with their sessions and inquire whether they need some help from my side or not,” said the young entrepreneur in an interview with DNA.
Gujarat Lions have been on a winning streak, sitting on top of the table with 5 wins out of 6 matches. Everything seems to be working out for them perfectly and possibly, the man behind their success could possibly be their head coach, Australian T20 veteran, Brad Hodge.
“It took us a lot of time to finalise the coach, but upon interacting with Hodge, I felt that he has the capabilities to bind a team together in the face of adversities, which according to me is a very vital quality. Also, Hodge may not have coached any team but he has been one of the greatest T20 players and his maturity at this level is what we vouch for.
“Big names don’t matter, experience is what makes the difference in the end,” said the Intex scion.
Also read: IPL Gujarat Lions team owner- All you need to know about the Director of Intex Technologies
Suresh Raina was the favorite to captain the side even before the IPL 2016 started but his form was still under clouds. However, the management backed Raina, in spite his poor form in the T20 World Cup 2016.
“These guys have struck a chord and, although Raina is the captain, others chip in with their thoughts and suggestions and ultimately play their part in helping the team forward,” he said.
“See, these kind of things are part of the game and I had a general chat with him (Raina) after he joined the camp, but all of us were confident that the result of the World Cup wouldn’t have any bearing on his IPL performance,” Keshav added.
Young entrepreneurs generally take inspiration from other successful businessmen, but Keshav has a different idea altogether.
“I love SRK as an actor and admire his skills but that’s it. My father is my idol but, at the same time, we are two different individuals. I have my own strengths and weaknesses. I can’t copy anyone. If I do that, I will only reach that person’s level.
“I have my own vision to go beyond and I have to be original. I have to create my own ways so that people follow me and not the other way round”, the 25-year-old said.
Keshav is also a keen follower of different kinds of sports since his childhood and is a squash player himself. He also revealed that Bravo helps the team relax after the matches with his ‘Champion Dance’.
“Bravo is always brimming with energy. He keeps the team together and teaches me the ‘Champion Dance’. We have shot a video of it too,” Keshav smiles.
Gujarat Lions is one of the few franchises this IPL, which have given new youngsters a lot of opportunities in the game and their owner shed some light on that factor as well.
“We have not bought these youngsters to make them sit in the dugout for the whole season. If they have the potential, then why not use it in the matches? This is a great platform for them and they look up to us for that one opportunity. This is the least we can do for Indian cricket.”
Talking about the controversy regarding the Maharashtra games being shifted to other venues, he said, “I don’t want to go into controversies, but at the same time, I feel for the franchises which would be affected by this. Having said that, we have to take the society into account and respect the court’s verdict.”
The new franchises Pune and Gujarat have been given a two-year contract, and will have to dissolve their teams once Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals return to the league.
“We just want to enjoy our time in the league. BCCI will take the final call and we will respect that. We also have to figure out how much leverage Intex gets as a brand. The team’s result doesn’t matter, it’s important to have a long-term vision”, he said.
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