KKR - The SRK Circus!

In case I’m not wrong, KKR is Kolkata Knight Riders, right? Happened to be the most high-voltage, heavy-watt, glamour-emitting team in the Indian Premier League (IPL) T-20 cricket, since its inception.

What had that team done so far?

Played enough cricket to disappoint its die-hard supporters, as well as its franchise.

As a result, in the auction for the IPL4, an all new team is formed and firmed up, which, according to the spokesperson of KKR, is sure to ruin all other teams to win this version of IPL.

Even SRK from South Africa was quoted as saying, “Kolkata must get their cup of joy!”

Indeed. Kolkata is glad and proud to have such a caring and concerned franchise on and off the block of KKR!

The celluloid Caesar turned cricket tycoon also mentioned, “It's a new team, a new set-up. Decisions are taken by a lot of people including coach Dav Whatmore. Jacques Kallis is ‘my favourite’ cricketer; Gautam Gambhir is the ‘in-form’ batsman and Yusuf Pathan is a ‘clear match-winner’. We gave a lot of thought as to how we will go about strategising at the auction and I am hopeful this team will do well.”

“Remember, when we sign players, we have to ‘carry’ them for three years,” SRK continued to justify why KKR needs young or fresh legs.

Now, based on those above comments, some questions are spurring on my mind that I would like to share.

Before the name of ‘Jacques Kallis’ was the qualifying tag ‘my favourite’ really called for? Does a cricketer like Kallis need anyone’s favouritism for that matter, if cricketing abilities of the players are the prime factors for the team selection?

Same way, when law-of-average bothers everyone in cricket, is there any guarantee that Gautam Gambhir’s form will continue as expected? And when was the last time Yusuf Pathan instrumented his earlier team Rajasthan Royals’ series of wins, clearly and constantly?

Also, I’m mighty curious to know whether a franchise does have any quality whatsoever to ‘carry’ a team or it’s simply the other way round where the cricketers actually carry him and his team!

Even if the inclusions of Kallis, Gambhir and Pathan are given a thumb’s up on the basis of cricketing merit and justification, my curiosity continues to know on what parameters Bret Lee made a cut into the KKR squad!

A bowler who’s always been driven and taken apart (with 48 strike rate) by the opponents in almost all the matches he played in the IPL is likely to spearhead the bowling attack of KKR when the team is trying to make its fans believe that it’s making a champion side this year!

Interesting, isn’t it?

If cricketing sense prevails, and if the team composition of KKR is looked at and into with proper reasoning, it’s certain to give us nightmares and reveries in tandem; especially when the team’s bowling department is put under scanner.

Perhaps KKR’s so much talked about and distinguished strategy is ‘let the bowlers splurge runs and make the batters chase them.’

Quite a sporting spirit; must admit!

SRK didn’t deter to comment again that Sourav asked him to change the team completely, so he did the same. Quite an obedient franchise, isn’t it?

And his obedience continued so much so that he even made sure that Sourav was expelled from the KKR team. And then he would call up Sourav to propose if Dada could take the mentor’s role in the team.

I’m sure for such modesty and obedience, if any director changes his entire casting list for a film given SRK’s proposal and also drops SRK too, later on SRK will also accept the mentor’s role in that very film of that very director to train other actors to do well!

Besides, a ballpark notion has been filling up the air for quite some time that the franchises are investing money on the teams thus they don’t want to lose their money.

Fair enough.

However, the question remains, if a franchise is so apprehensive of losing his money why is he investing in the first place then? And, if he thinks that he’s carrying the cricketers; who has asked him to be a Good Samaritan to the willow and leather bearers?

If SRK believes in the fact that he’s lost his money due to the dismal performances of KKR for the last three years, why is he re-investing to play the same game of bat and ball, which is somewhat like gamble owing to the game’s nature?

Had SRK invested the money then what had the Brands such as Nokia, Sprite done for KKR?

I sincerely feel that the time has come for us – all the KKR fans – to understand that KKR will never win notwithstanding the team management’s tall and hollow claims.

It’s not because Sourav is out of the team but just because cricket is not a circus (or cinema) – in whichever format it’s played… test or 50 overs or T-20.

It’s a game of brains, skills, techniques, utilities and, most importantly, class – which is permanent unlike form that’s temporary.

And to say the least, this KKR team has got no class to field in on any turf but offering some gimmicks that have nothing to do with cricket.

So, let’s enjoy KKR playing as the SRK circus!