'It wasn't a big decision for me': KKR CEO Venky Mysore on releasing Sourav Ganguly after 2010 season

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) CEO Venky Mysore admitted that he was “unattached” from the bond that Sourav Ganguly shared with the franchise and the city when they decided not to retain him after the third season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). He, however, revealed that it was a tough decision for the KKR owners.

Ganguly, who was the captain and face of the Kolkata outfit since the inception of the IPL in 2008, was released after the team couldn’t finish above sixth across the three editions. Venky Mysore, too, had come on board after the 2010 season.

Mysore said in the latest episode of the ‘The RK Show’ on YouTube:

“I’ll break that into two parts. Personally, for me, it didn’t seem like a big decision, only because I was unattached. If I had been part of the organisation for three years, or two years or one year, it would have been a tougher decision...Eventually, I realised, that for the organisation and for the owners, it was tough.”

Mysore’s “different approach” paid dividends for KKR

KKR's maiden IPL triumph after they beat CSK in the IPL 2012 final at Chepauk. Credits: ESPNcricinfo

Apart from the owners, the people of Kolkata also found the decision incredibly difficult to digest. Not only did they criticise the KKR management but some even started following the Pune Warriors India, who bought Ganguly in the 2011 auction.

Mysore added:

“I look back at it, and I basically said this, that ‘I don’t know if it’s the right thing to do or not, and we may fall flat on our face. But, it’s a different approach. Are we all on board with this?’ If I have to attribute whatever success we have had to one thing, it is the fact that the owners – Shah Rukh, Jay, Juhi – have stood behind the decisions I have proposed.”

There was a major reshuffle in the KKR dugout as Gautam Gambhir took over the reins. The decision was instantly vindicated as he not only led the side to the playoffs in his very first season but also won two IPL trophies in three years – in 2012 and 2014.