3 concerns for Dwayne Bravo as KKR's new mentor in IPL ft. Andre Russell and Sunil Narine's future
After weeks of silent anticipation, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) announced on Thursday that West Indies pace all-rounder Dwayne Bravo would be the franchise's mentor for IPL 2025 and beyond as they look to defend the title.
On the face of it, it seems like a strong reaction to losing Gautam Gambhir, Abhishek Nayar, and Ryan ten Doeschate in one go. On Wednesday, we already discussed the various qualities he'll add to the franchise and why getting him from the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) should not be considered less than a big scoop.
But that doesn't mean Bravo's appointment would be hunky dory and KKR would enjoy another successful year just based on the fact that he's on board.
Below, we have discussed three big concerns or questions that Bravo would have to answer in his stint at KKR, and which will decide the trajectory of his tenure.
#3 The Andre Rusell-Sunil Narine question
This is the first big issue that'll welcome Bravo like a stench on his face as soon as he opens the KKR door. Should the team retain both or even one of Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, their longest-serving, most loyal pillars?
The question would have been much easier to answer had both West Indian all-rounders not had their best seasons with KKR in 2024. Narine was the only bowler in the season to take a wicket in every game while Rusell -- who wasn't needed much with the bat -- came as fit as ever to take 19 scalps (the fourth-best in 2024).
Their roles in not only KKR's title win but also the overall identity and connection with the fans can't be overstated. However, neither has been in as good form since the season for West Indies or in other leagues and would be 37 during IPL 2025.
The question isn't whether KKR would want to have them in 2025 or not -- they'd probably love to -- but it's about whether it's the right time to let them go ahead of the mega auction where they can get the best available replacements.
Retaining them would mean that while all franchises would build for the next three years, KKR would be doing it just for 2025 and beyond that would be a lot of uncertainty. And due to the limited number of retentions, Russell and Narine's experience could come at the cost of losing important players like Venkatesh Iyer, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Mitchell Starc or talents like Harshit Rana.
Bravo, three years older than both of them and their former teammate and captain, would know exactly how much they can push them in KKR. He's perhaps the best man to make that decision but it would be anything but easy.
#2 Clashing identities
Replacing Gambhir won't be straightforward either. From the outside, it didn't seem like he had any major tactical or strategic inputs into the functioning of the team.
For example, in interviews after the season he said he didn't believe a lot in using data for help, even though KKR had one of the best analysts -- England's Nathan Leamon -- in their camp and bowling coach Bharat Arun admitted taking his help.
Gambhir's impact was more about belief -- making a brilliantly constructed squad that they can achieve something together as the mentor did in 2012 and 2014, which perhaps helped their execution of plans. In this way, his partnership with head coach Chandrakant Pandit and others in the staff seemed brilliant.
A big concern for Bravo would be striking a similar working relationship with Pandit and Arun. In the last coaching camp, only ten Doeschate was not Indian and he had the least responsibilities as the fielding coach.
Bravo would have a much bigger role and would need to win the trust (even though Pandit and Arun would likely respect him because of his tremendous achievements) to make his input count. As a recently retired bowler and mentor, how he gets along with the bowling coach would be important for the team, too.
Furthermore, in 2024, the team seemed to be aligned with the Gambhir identity. Bravo would be much different and it needs to be seen if he can help the team recover from nostalgia and fall into this new mold. KKR would not want any clash of identities but that would need a lot of time and effort from all stakeholders.
#1 Pressure of expectations -- can he deliver immediate success?
This point is connected to the above two. Firstly, whatever decision KKR makes on Russell and Narine would have repercussions: if it goes wrong, fans would not mind turning their backs on the new face, the man who replaced their cult hero.
As the bowling consultant at CSK, Bravo was in the shadows of MS Dhoni, Stephen Fleming, Michael Hussey and Eric Simmons. At KKR, he'd be in the spotlight, with fan expectations at the peak as the defending champions.
And the expectations in IPL would be much more than the other Knight Riders teams around the world, which he'll also manage.
The supporters might find it hard to understand that Gambhir came to KKR at the end of the cycle when the team was meticulously built over three years. Bravo would come at the start of a cycle with a mega auction bringing a ton of unease.
Immediate success is never more difficult than after a mega auction. Gujarat Titans achieved it by outperforming most of the metrics, which is rare.
Bravo would need great communication skills to explain his vision and needs to both the fans and the ownership if that hasn't been cleared up already. During the season, how he reacts to losses, and the fans' reactions to the team not looking like the one that won the title only a few months ago, would be critical.