IPL 2019: Home team should have some advantage - KKR CEO Venky Mysore
Mysore preceded that comment by saying the kind of love and affection they get from Kolkata --- “before yesterday we had lost six in a row but every game was pretty much soldout,” he said --- there is no question of shifting games from Eden. KKR have in the past played in Cuttack.
Even though Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have no desire to move any game from the city in 2020, team CEO Venky Mysore batted for home advantage before some players and support staff fine-tuned drives on the fairways of the Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC) here on Monday.
“Home team should have some advantage, there is no question about it. You can see around the league, the teams have home advantage and that is a good thing. That is how rivalries are built. You build a team based on home conditions because you are going to play seven games there. So, it has been a slightly unusual year in that sense. But in fairness, probably we have not played to our potential also,” said Mysore at the fifth Knight Golf, an annual charity event.
Mysore preceded that comment by saying the kind of love and affection they get from Kolkata --- “before yesterday we had lost six in a row but every game was pretty much soldout,” he said --- there is no question of shifting games from Eden. KKR have in the past played in Cuttack.
“But we hope to have some good discussions with the CAB (about the wicket).” On a track where the bounce is true, KKR, having built their bowling around spinners, have struggled this term. The twice-winners who have qualified for the playoffs in six of the last eight seasons could miss out this term and had taken only 42 wickets going into Sunday’s game.
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“I suppose the wicket has changed over the last two or three years since it was relaid and that made a difference. But both teams play on the same wicket and we haven’t played the key moments as well as we would have liked to,” said KKR coach Jacques Kallis.
“I think teams are allowed one average year every now and again and we are probably having one of those but the fact that we are still competing shows we are a good side. But there are lessons to be learnt from this. You always seem to learn a little more when you lose,” said Kallis.
Collective decision
Kallis said it was a collective decision to promote Andre Russell to No. 3 on Sunday when KKR beat Mumbai Indians by 34 runs. “We are a team that plays situations. We had a good start and given their bowling attack, we thought it would be best for Andre to come a little earlier,” he said.
Mysore said KKR are hopeful of getting the services of ‘exciting talent’ Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi next season. Recruited last season after helping India win the 2018 under-19 World Cup, Mavi, who played nine games last term, was injured before this season. Nagarkoti has been out for two.
