"I put my neck on the line" - Venky Mysore on the decision to not retain any player in 2011
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) CEO Venky Mysore has spoken about the controversial decision not to retain any players ahead of the 2011 IPL auction.
The two-time IPL champions were one of only three franchises to release all their players along with the Deccan Chargers and Kings XI Punjab.
Venky Mysore was appointed as the CEO of the franchise in 2010. KKR were the only side to be devoid of playoff cricket across the first three editions of the tournament.
The newly appointed CEO made the call to let go of major international players like Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum, Ricky Ponting and Sourav Ganguly to go into the auction with a full purse.
KKR shelled out $ 2.4 million (out of total 7), for Gambhir in 2011. The move paid off with KKR winning 2 IPLs in next 4 years.
People can very well want a Captain for 20 crores today. Unfortunately Shreyas Iyer is not as good as Gambhir, either with the bat or as a Captain!
Speaking on Brad Hogg's YouTube channel, Mysore recalled the decision he made a decade ago.
"I came into KKR after 3 seasons, we were the only team that had not made it to the playoffs till then. The owners said that it is all yours, it's your baby. The only direction to go was up. We had an awesome team with international stars as well.
"I came in and said that we have to do something different. One of the key decisions that I would look back on my 11-year career, where I put my neck on the line, was when we decided not to retain any player. We were allowed to retain up to 5 players."
Venky Mysore also spoke about the absence of Pakistani players in the competition.
The T20 World Cup semi-finalists have made serious strides in the shortest format of the game but are unable to ply their trade in the IPL.
"From a pure cricketing standpoint, it is disappointing that Pakistan players are not in the IPL because we want to see some of the talent being showcased. Is it making a difference to the quality of the tournament? Definitely not. There is a bigger picture and I completely understand the reasons why the decision is there."
Players like Misbah-ul-Haq, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Gul, Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Akhtar were once part of the IPL.
"We've been with Russell and Narine through thick and thin" - Venky Mysore
Unlike their 2011 retention call, KKR opted to retain the maximum available option of four players this time around. The two-time champions retained Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy and Venkatesh Iyer ahead of the 2022 mega auction.
Mysore spoke about the connection the franchise has with the Caribbean duo of Russell and Narine.
"What I've realized is that when you do retain, you don't look at players and names and emotions. You just look at the skills at your disposal and the opportunity to retain.
"When you look at Russell, when he is at his best, I don't think that there is anybody who can do on the field. Very difficult, if not impossible, to get those skills in an auction. Narine is also a one of a kind player. We've been with them through thick and thin. Russell has had fitness issues and Narine has had action issues."
KKR will have to pay at least 6cr instead of 4cr (as an uncapped player) for Venkatesh Iyer, if they retain him.
Narine was roped in by KKR in 2012, and has arguably been one of the greatest auction picks in history.
Russell, on the other hand, found his groove with the franchise after a disappointing spell with Delhi.