The turning point for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) came when they changed their captain. However, the decision was not easy, as the entire Bengal region supported Sourav Ganguly, believing no one else should lead the team. Despite this, the franchise appointed Gautam Gambhir as captain.
Former KKR director Joy Bhattacharjya revealed the story behind Sourav Ganguly’s exclusion. He also shared that fans messaged him, accusing a Bengali of betraying another Bengali for not retaining Ganguly for IPL 2011.
What happened after Sourav Ganguly’s ommision?
Bhattacharjya featured on ‘A Century of Stories’ podcast, where he shared story after KKR management decided not to retain Ganguly. He told that he had gotten 400 message on his phone saying he has betrayled another bengali Ganguly.
“When Sourav Ganguly was not bid for, within five minutes I got 400 messages on my phone. There was somebody who put on all groups saying, ‘This is a Bengali who has betrayed our Bengali icon Sourav Ganguly, please tell him what we think of him’,” revealed Bhattacharjya.
“It reached a stage where I had to turn around and tell my dad that perhaps he should take down our address board from his house in Salt Lake,” Bhattacharjya adds.
“Shah Rukh first distanced himself. He said, ‘If you want Sourav, keep Sourav. If you don’t want him, your call,” revealed Bhattacharjya.
“Dav Whatmore was the coach, I was there, Venky Mysore the CEO was there,” Bhattacharjya added.
KKR’s captaincy change
KKR faced major backlash for not bidding on Ganguly and instead opting for Gambhir in the auction. Gambhir was acquired by the team for over ₹11 crore.
However, the risk paid off, as KKR went on to win two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014. Gambhir later mentored the team, guiding them to another title in 2024.
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