How SRK's Wankhede incident helped KKR

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TheRager

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Posted: 13 years ago

SRK's Wankhede incident brought us closer, reveals Webster

Controversial Wankhede incident increased the team's commitment to Shah Rukh Khan and brought the outfit closer, says Kolkata Knight Riders' West Indian psychologist, Dr Rudi Webster

Kolkata Knight Riders had all the requisite cricketing skills to emerge Indian Premier League champions against Chennai Super Kings on Sunday night. But they didn't ignore the mental aspect. The franchise should be commended for thinking about this vital aspect which set them apart from other teams in the competition. By appointing Dr Rudi Webster, Knight Riders covered all areas in a way.

Kolkata Knight Riders' co-owner Shah Rukh Khan celebrates with his teammates after winning the IPL-V trophy on Sunday .Pic/AFP

They chose well. After all, Dr Webster had been successful in his work with top cricketers like Sir Viv Richards and fellow West Indian batting legend Brian Lara. He now takes up an assignment at the National Cricket Academy where he will work with young Indian players. Dr Webster shared his thoughts on a memorable IPL season with MiD DAY yesterday.

Dr Rudi Webster

Excerpts:

Mental aspect important, but so were the three pillars'
Of course, the mental part of the game was an important performance pillar, but so were the other three pillars ' fitness, technical skills, and tactics and strategy. It was a combination of these four pillars that formed the foundation for our success during the season. The captain, coaches and support staff did a good job in that respect.

Everyone sang from the same hymnbook'
Our win was due to a good team effort. Everyone was singing from the same hymnbook from the very beginning of the competition ' owners, CEO and his staff, captain, coaches, support staff and players. The team had a common purpose and a common philosophy ' win or lose, play as a close team and help and care for each other. That was the message of the captain and coaches. I found the KKR to be a professional organisation for which the CEO Venky Mysore must be given a lot of credit.

Wankhede incident worked wonders'
I think the incident in Mumbai increased the team's ties and commitment to SRK and brought the team closer together. So in some respects the decision makers in Mumbai did Kolkata Knight Riders a great favour. A football coach in Melbourne, Australia always told his administrators and players: "You should never say anything about your opponents or do anything to them that they can use to motivate themselves to beat you."

Performance revolves more around self-belief than potential
From the beginning, my focus was on the local players, not the foreign stars. There is a lot of talent among the local boys. My job was to get them to believe in themselves and their ability and not to be overwhelmed by the presence of the superstars in the team. And it was made easier by their willingness to learn. At this level, performance revolves more around self-belief and self-image than it does around potential. Manvinder Bisla's batting on Sunday in the final was a case in point and was from the top drawer. The final game was the last part of the journey, but every game along the way was tough and important.

Bayliss is super with buttons
Coach Trevor Bayliss is one of the best coaches I have worked with. Along with the captain, he created the right environment that enabled the players to flourish. His people skills are very good and he was able to press the right buttons to get the best out of the players.

Skipper's belief: Team over the individual
Gautam Gambhir captained the team very well. He has most of the qualities of a good leader and understands the importance of individual and group motivation and the importance of team over the individual. Even after winning the final yesterday he stressed that the speed of the leader is the speed of the people that he leads. Surely he must be on the shortlist to captain India after Mahendra Singh Dhoni leaves. I am confident that he will do well if he is given the opportunity. SRK and Jay Mehta (co-owners) supported the team fully and never interfered. They allowed the professionals to do their jobs.
I think that contributed in no small measure to the team's success.

http://www.mid-day.com/sports/2012/may/290512-sports-SRKs-Wankhede-incident-brought-us-closer-reveals-Webster.htm

Edited by -ksh- - 13 years ago

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TheRager

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Posted: 13 years ago

Five years on... Knights vindicate King Khan's faith

Bikash Mohapatra salutes Shah Rukh Khan and Kolkata Knight Riders on their triumph in the fifth edition of the IPL

It was a fresh start for Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of the fifth edition of the Indian Premier League.

Well, literally. This February, the high-profile franchise launched a new marketing campaign titled 'New Dawn, New Knights' along with a new logo.

'KKR inshallah will win IPL this year,' declared Shah Rukh Khan, a statement that seemed grandiloquent too many at the time.

Little was the owner aware that the new campaign would indeed mark a new dawn for his side.

KKR's comprehensive five-wicket win over defending champions Chennai Super Kings at the Chidambaram stadium on Sunday meant the flamboyant Bollywood star had finally tasted success, five years after he made the high-profile acquisition.

The triumph marked the end of years of disappointment, justified the millions spent by the franchise and ensured all the hype surrounding the team had finally translated into a performance.

More importantly, it vindicated the owner's faith in his team, justified the decisions (some of them controversial) that he made and fulfilled a long-cherished dream.

Shah Rukh could finally afford to be his pompous self even if he was all humility after the final.

To be fair to SRK, he had always done all he could for his team, probably more.

From making big signings from time to time to getting the best backroom staff, from getting the best sponsors to embarking on the best marketing drive, from ensuring the best support during matches to make sure there's always hype surrounding the franchise, King Khan had done all he could since the tournament's inception to make KKR one of the most talked about teams in the competition.

Yet, when it came to performance his team flattered to deceive. Considering the amount of talent at their disposal, KKR's performance belied all belief.

In the inaugural season, KKR started as one of the favourites, having arguably the strongest team on paper.

With crowd favourite Sourav Ganguly as the captain (and Icon player), John Buchanan as coach, the likes of Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul and Ajantha Mendis taking care of the bowling department and the flamboyant duo of Brendon McCullum and Chris Gayle opening the batting, the team seemed set for the title charge.

When McCullum scored a majestic 158 not out -- it remains the highest individual score in the tournament -- to help his team destroy Royal Challengers Bangalore in the first match of the IPL, KKR seemed destined for bigger things.

A win over Deccan Chargers in the second match raised further hopes. However, it did not take long for the bubble to burst.

The Knight Riders won only four of their remaining 12 matches and finished a disappointing sixth among eight teams.

In the next two seasons, the franchise made the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

The second edition of the tournament, played in South Africa, witnessed one controversy after the other surrounding the franchise.

Coach Buchanan's ludicrous theory of multiple captains meant McCullum replaced Ganguly as the new leader, resulting in widespread (and expected) discontentment. Then there was the 'Fake IPL Player' (Remember him? His identity has been revealed since), an anonymous blogger who discussed dressing room arguments on the web.

Amid all these controversies, the Knight Riders' performance went from bad to worse. They finished bottom of the table in the second edition, losing nine matches on the trot at one stage. They fared a bit better in the third, finishing sixth.

Following three years of disappointment, it was time to make some tough calls. Around the same time there were rumours galore regarding the owner trying to sell the team (they were refuted, of course).

Buchanan had put in his papers and it was Dav Whatmore who took charge. SRK went ahead to revamp his team in the preceding auction, spending millions to acquire the likes of Gautam Gambhir ($2.4 million), Yusuf Pathan ($2.1 million), Jacques Kallis, Brett Lee, Shakib Al Hasan and Ryan ten Doeschate.

No effort was made to retain Ganguly, though, something that created uproar in Kolkata and led to widespread protests, with fans boycotting home matches.

The owner stuck to his ground, naming Gambhir as the new captain.

For once, the decisions seemed to work. The revamped squad did well to remain in the fray throughout, eventually finishing among the top four. Even though KKR came up short against Mumbai Indians in the eliminator, the fourth edition of the tournament had marked a fresh start for the franchise.

Ahead of the fifth edition, there were three major acquisitions: McCullum was purchased again (for US $900,000), Sunil Narine (for US $700,000) and Marchant de Lange (for US $50,000).

Besides, Trevor Bayliss replaced Whatmore, who went on to take charge of the Pakistan national team as the coach. And Wasim Akram was brought in as the bowling consultant and mentor.

KKR got off to a shaky start, losing both their opening matches, at home to Delhi Daredevils and away to Rajasthan Royals. However, they soon embarked on a nine-match winning streak, ensuring them second place on the league table.

There were controversies of course, the most notable one being the incident that ended in SRK being banned from entering Wankhede stadium for five years.

But on this occasion, KKR's on-the-field performance took centre stage for once, culminating in a memorable maiden triumph.

To his credit, Gambhir led from the front, scoring 580 runs in 17 matches -- including six half-centuries -- to finish second in the race for the Orange Cap, behind Chris Gayle.

More importantly, he and coach Bayliss managed to inculcate in his players team spirit, stressing on the fact that the team is bigger than the individual, as opposed to what was the case when Ganguly captained.

'No individual is bigger than the team. Till I'm there it will always be about Kolkata Knight Riders and not any individual,' Gambhir was often quoted as saying.

Having been dropped as the vice captain of the national team in favour of a youngster (Virat Kohli), the 31-year-old had a point to prove. He chose to let his performance, and that of his team, speak for itself.

However, in the final analysis it was a triumph for Shah Rukh.

His ownership (and marketing skills) ensured an eternal hype surrounding his franchise. His money ensured the best talent at his disposal. His perseverance meant there were no hasty decisions.

But his team ensured him one of the most memorable moments, one to cherish for a lifetime. The star can now afford to celebrate akin to what he does after winning an award for his performances on screen.

King Khan can finally declare to the world, 'Kolkata Knight Riders are the champions'.

http://www.rediff.com/cricket/slide-show/slide-show-1-ipl-five-years-after-the-knights-vindicate-king-khans-faith/20120528.htm

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Angel-likeDevil

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Posted: 13 years ago

W*F is this?

Why is cricket being given so much importance.

I wish that psychologist had studied the effing psychology of the media that shows redundant news on celebs and cricket 24/7 AND the government that shower CRORES of money on criket players while they complain about increasing fiscal deficit, budget and shit.

Heights of stupidity...as if the world revolves around cricket..