KKR: A classic case of matter over mind

King Khan believes in justifying his stature time and again. After producing multiple hits in the hindi cinema over a number of years; Khan delved into a new venture. He invested in the KKR franchise and bought players in consultation with the 'icon'player Dada. With a successful brand image, Khan ensured plenty of sponsors for his team. The huge capacity crowd in the home ground 'Eden Gardens' ensured ringing profits for the team. It was Khan's ingeniousness that he roped in big hitters and express bowlers that were high on glam quotient. As expected, the overall performance of the team was indifferent. Khan vowed to bounce back.
Enter April 2009 and security concerns over hosting IPL in India prompted organisers to move to SA. An unwanted tussle awaited the management of KKR when coach Buchanan came with his 'multiple captains proposal'. Having different captains for different matches demanded more concentration from the team members. A lot of enthusiasm was generated and to prevent commotion McCullum was appointed the 'only' captain.
With spectacular grounds and low diaspora, IPL 09 deemed to be essentially a T.V. event. But, low ticket costs and good marketing ensured sizable attendance. Mr. Khan went to cheer his team and after a string of losses, came back unhappy. The team failed to gel together and players ceased to compensate for each other's mistakes. The pitches were tricky and demanded adaptation. The players seemed to be ignorant of that ability.
The debacle of KKR stresses the importance of picking the mind over matter. Cricket, being a technical game is not won by strength. Dearth of technically sound batsmen dealt a fatal blow to the winning prospects. Beleaguered by the low scores, the inconsistent bowling didn't help the team's cause either. Sloppy fielding including grounding simple catches often tilted the games away. What a pitiable situation that an erstwhile coach of a world class team has to manage such forgettable performances.