For the Indian Premier League (IPL) contest between Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals at the Eden Gardens, Sourav Ganguly’s role of advisor with Capitals has come under scrutiny. After all, Ganguly is also the president of the Cricket Association of Bengal.
Venky Mysore, the Knight Riders CEO, however, has said his club has “no issues at all” with Ganguly’s dual role. “He is a thorough professional. He knows how to do his duties well. He’s fully supportive of what we are doing. We have no issues at all,” Mysore told PTI .
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Mysore praised Knight Riders captain Dinesh Karthik for his skills and attitude. “I can’t imagine a World Cup squad without him. The role he plays is such a difficult one and as a keeper as well. The attitude he brings in to the team is amazing,” he said.
No added pressure
However, Karthik, the team’s top run-getter in 2018, has not been in very good form this season. Considering the Indian squad for the Cricket World Cup 2019 is due to be announced soon, runs seem to be important in making an impression on the selectors. Mysore said, “For him, I know, the focus is [Knight Riders]. We are taking one game at a time, win that game and get into the playoffs and be in contention. That’s his focus. I don’t think he will be thinking about the World Cup selection at the moment. I don’t think there’s any added pressure on him at all.”
He added: “He’s been playing cricket for India for a long time. He’s played under most difficult pressure situations and still [ensures wins]. I am sure he will continue to contribute in that fashion. There [are] only 15 people who can go to the World Cup.”
Knight Riders, the IPL champion in 2012 and 2014, is yet to win under Karthik’s captaincy. “We were a bit unlucky with injuries. We needed to bolster our back-up and increase the size of the squad. We worked very hard this time in this auctions. Winning championship is very difficult. There are teams who have still not won it. It does not mean they are not aiming to win it. Forget about championships, we have the best ratio,” he said, pointing at the team’s top-four finishes from 2016 to 2018.
He added: “It shows that we have been always consistent. Last year we were a few balls away from winning the final. Had we made the final, who knows? It happened in the previous years as well. I’m very happy with the consistency.
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