IPL 6: Kolkata Knight Riders - The purple patch is fading

2008 – Sixth, 2009 – Eightth, 2010 – Sixth, 2011 – Fourth, 2012 – Champions, 2013 – Seventh

In the six years of IPL history, the report card of the Kolkata Knight Riders has been, at best, average. Although the Pune Warriors have made a quick dash towards the “worst performing team ever” title, Kolkata Knight Riders undoubtedly remain the most inconsistent team over all the editions.

In 2011, after falling flat on their faces for the first three seasons, KKR decided to throw the kitchen sink at the auctions. They showed the door to Kolkata’s favourite son, splurged heavily, roped in the big names, changed their jersey and hit a purple patch. The fourth season saw them steady their ship and the fifth one witnessed them in top gear. The mystery of Sunil Narine left the batsmen bamboozled, while Gautam Gambhir single handedly tore attacks apart. Jacques Kallis provided the stability and Shakib-ul-Hasan came up with the perfect balancing act. The rest of the cast dovetailed with perfect cameos and KKR produced magic. Shah Rukh Khan went ballistic with his celebrations and Bengal found a new brand.

But the essence of magic lies in recreating it, “because making something disappear isn’t enough; you have to bring it back”. Come 2013, the magic has disappeared and after a seventh place finish, KKR are back to where it all began. While it all seemed hunky dory after their win last year, this year’s IPL has revealed the cracks in the set-up that existed since the inception of the tournament.

Team Management

An out of form Yusuf Pathan was persisted with while a T20 specialist Ryan ten Doeschate warmed the benches. Brendon McCullum went back after a guest appearance while DB Das remained one of the permanent fixtures. The team selection of the KKR management often left the best of experts gasping. A glamorous team like KKR always has to deal with difference of opinions, favouritism, internal politics and superstar egos. If Ganguly refused to buy into John Buchanan’s theories, Gambhir and the Delhi camp certainly have their issues with Bayliss. While teams like Rajasthan Royals depend on team work and unity, Kolkata Knight Riders are one of those that depend on their stars. When the stars shine, the team sparkles as a galaxy but when they don’t, all that is left is a black hole.

The batting

With the exception of Eoin Morgan, the batting went completely off the grid this season. The Irishman looked like the only one with intent, and the rest just didn’t turn up. Jacques Kallis hung on to his spot despite his docile efforts with the bat. Manvinder Bisla failed to repeat his last season exploits and Yusuf Pathan swung to miss until the last couple of games. Manoj Tiwary rarely contributed, thus illustrating why he’s a permanent fixture on the bench while the Rainas and Sharmas don the Indian jersey.

The bowling

If the batting was a wreck, the bowling didn’t do much either. The Knight Riders boast of a strong and a varied attack but Sunil Narine aside, the entire unit failed to deliver. It lacked pace and intensity and wasn’t incisive enough. Senanayake didn’t create many mysteries while Brett Lee inexplicably vanished after uprooting Unmukt Chand with an absolute “jaffa”. Shami Ahmed was scarcely seen while Iqbal Abdullah, one of the successful bowlers last season, made an appearance in the latter half of the tournament.

Although Balaji and Kallis made a few inroads and Rajat Bhatia kept it tight during the middle overs, none of them had the ammunition to rip apart a side and that’s where the absence of Shakib-al-Hasan stung the side badly. He was the fulcrum that provided the necessary balance to the side and without him, the bowling lacked depth and the batting looked fragile.

Gautam Gambhir

However, the biggest disappointment for the Kolkata franchise was their captain, Gautam Gambhir. In 2011, KKR rocked the auctions by snapping up the left-hander at a record price. He was handed over the captaincy and asked to win – not only the IPL, but also the fans back! It was a tough job but “Double Gee” went about his business effectively. He reinstated solidity in the team and led from the front. His “We’re the only team that plays for Kolkata’s pride” remark won back the “Dada brigade” and last year, KKR hit the jackpot by winning both the IPL and the fans back.

This year, he did fairly well with the willow but his leadership skills fell short of the mark. Keeping abreast of his surname, the Knight Riders’ skipper was grumpier than his usual self and often looked disheartened. He lost his cool, lacked ideas and reiterated the same story in the presentation ceremonies. Whether it was during high-tempered situations like the bust-up with Virat Kohli or during the pressure moments in crunch games, Gambhir never looked like the man-in-charge. His strategies confused many and when the coach publicly shifts everything on to the captain’s shoulders, the captain-coach relationship doesn’t seem to be a happy one.

Shah Rukh Khan

If the captain had his on-field woes, the owner simply vanished. After the opening few games of this edition, Shah Rukh Khan, strangely, decided to go behind the curtains. He has been the most enthusiastic owner throughout the years and has stuck admirably by his team even when they have hit the headlines for the wrong reasons. A few have pointed fingers at his histrionics but to be fair, SRK is perhaps one of the few factors that have worked for the team. His presence always made a difference to the side and his infectious energy often injected a new life in the men wearing purple and gold.

“Kabhi kabhi kuch jeetne ke liye kuch harna bhi padta hai aur haarkar jeetne wale ko baazigar kehte hain (Sometimes to win, something has to be lost and the one who wins after losing, is called a gambler).”

Shah Rukh Khan delivers his signature lines whenever he’s in a spot. It works brilliantly for him on the silver screen but words do precious little when it comes to the cricket field. Any team can have a bad season but being in the bottom half of the table for four seasons doesn’t speak highly of a side that boasts of an ensemble of match winners.

In 2011, the brand value of KKR was estimated at $57.5 million and even now, they are perched right at the top financially. But without the silverware, it won’t take long for that sheen to wear off. All is not well with the Knight Riders; the purple patch is fading.

Mr. Khan - Are you watching closely?