Wasim Akram back with KKR - CEO Venky Mysore

KKR CEO Venky Mysore

Revealing that the former Pakistan bowler Wasim Akram will be back as the bowling coach of Kolkata Knight Riders for the upcoming IPL season, the franchise’s CEO Venky Mysore has said that they are looking to build a ‘compact and manageable’ squad for the next three seasons.

Mysore said: “Akram has told us that his services will be available for the full length of the tournament this time.”

KKR have retained only 2 players in Gautam Gambhir and Sunil Narine this time around, ahead of the IPL auctions in February 12 and 13, which means that they will have to build a team from scratch.

Mysore said: “We want to keep our squad very compact to make it more manageable. It will be based on need. We will figure out the optimum size, keeping in mind the need for this year and the future.”

Mysore did not reveal anything about their bidding strategy when he was asked about it, but he did say this: “I don’t know, so we will wait and see. We have to balance it somehow and try and figure out what is the optimum formula keeping in mind of the auction.”

KKR have 2 RTM (right to match) options, and Mysore said that they will bid cautiously this time depending on the price: “Technically we have two joker cards and can pick any players who were with us. The other factor is price; it has to be appropriate.

“When you study the retention rules, you will realise that it has been made very punitive. You’re punished for retaining in a way, because teams who have gone for full retention have already lost 65 per cent of their salary cap.

“It will be very difficult to be active in the auction if you have already lost 65 per cent of the money. There is no right or wrong formula to this. But may be after the auction we will be able to say whether we can pat ourselves on the back or we made a mistake. We will wait for a week,” he added.