KKR cricketing brains behind Ganguly ouster: Shah Rukh

Kolkata Knight Riders' co-owner Shah Rukh Khan today said leaving out former India captain Sourav Ganguly from the team was a decision taken by the "cricketing brains" of the franchise and not by him. Ganguly, who captained KKR in the inaugural and 2009 season, was completely ignored in two rounds of players' auction for the fourth edition starting April 8.


In pic: KKR former captain Sourav Ganguly

The snub to the flamboyant batsman triggered angry protests in Kolkata. Khan pleaded with the fans to understand the compulsions behind the decision. "It's with very heavy heart that such decisions are taken. I don't do cricketing decisions anymore because in the first year when I did it, I have not done very well," Khan said. "I feel very sad for my team, for the city that my team represents. I feel very sad for the state. I feel very bad for my children. So all the decisions are now taken by the cricketing brains. The main aim is to perform well since in the last three years we have performed badly and I am sure that Dada also wishes that we do well," he added.

Khan said the team, which has bought Gautam Gambhir for mind boggling Rs 11 crore, cannot be about one individual. "Dada is like my younger brother. The team does not consist of one or two people. It is a team of 20. We used to feel very bad about our loss. We have even cried when we didn't win in India as well as in South Africa. "We only want to win the championship for Kolkata. We all want to do that including Dada. We have to put sadness, issues and thoughts behind sometimes to achieve a goal. We all have to make some sacrifices we understand that," he told 'Times Now'.

Khan said the controversies should now end and KKR should be allowed to function smoothly. "In season one, we had a lot of controversies and in the third IPL season, we had so many problems so my message to everyone is to give me a chance to run KKR without controversies. Let me play the game with the spirit of the game," he said. -PTI, Courtesy - TIMES NOW

You don't have a team in Kolkata without Ganguly: SRK

DURBAN: Kolkata Knight Riders' owner and Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan today said he would try and find a role for Sourav Ganguly in his IPL team after the former India skipper remained unsold.


In pic: KKR former captain Sourav Ganguly (L) and KKR owner Shahrukh Khan

Ganguly, who led KKR in the last edition, was left red-faced as none of the 10 franchisees showed interest in buying him at the two-day auction in Bangalore. "I would love it, I would love Sourav to be an integral part. You don't have a team in Kolkata without him. So, I will speak to Dada when I get back," Shah Rukh said.

The fans of Ganguly yesterday burnt Khan's effigies in Kolkata protesting his exclusion from the team. Shah Rukh refused to speak on why other teams ignored the former India captain. "I don't think I should be commenting on the nine other people. There are 350 to 400 players. There are 10 teams with think-tanks varying in hundred of numbers, the permutations and combinations. I don't think any of us can comment really on who should pick who? I don't think we have the right to do that,"he said.

"Auction is actually a chance like. It is very difficult to be completely confirmed on what you do in the auction. So things go wrong, kind of money you have, which players come first, so lots of decisions have to be made," he added. -PTI