Editorial: Calcutta Chromosome

NEW DELHI: Piqued by a decade of failure, Kolkata Knight Riders, perceived as a dormant volcano by its critics and fans alike for its stubborn refusal to shake off years of malady afflicting it, finally erupted with the lava spewn from it gulping down its detractors with glee, satiating its emaciated trophy cabinet with a third IPL title and the first since 2014. Helmed by a celebrated movie star in Shah Rukh Khan, lofty ambitions have always synonymous with KKR. Somewhere, it must have become inured to being judged harshly whenever things came to a sticky end.

Much before the just concluded IPL began, Kolkata already grabbed headlines with its 24.75 cr splurge on Mitchell Starc at the auction last December. There were skeptics aplenty who frowned upon such an exorbitant sum being forked out for an individual who had turned his back on the IPL for several years and was thought to have seen better days, at least in the T20 format. In their considered view, another year without the trophy looked likely.

The Kolkata management, determined to bring closure to the drought that left its fans thirsting for that elusive success, roped in its former captain Gautam Gambhir as mentor to run a taut ship and bring back the glory days. It was under Gambhir's leadership that KKR won two trophies in a span of two years and through his diligence and shrewd leadership, he had gone on to occupy a pedestal of reverence at the Eden Gardens.

Still, when the season got under way, not many had reckoned that Kolkata would be a worthy contender, having been plagued by years of doubt and disgruntled at the player acquisitions. However, that perception began to change after the first few matches when a revamped KKR squad entertained the spectators with a refreshingly aggressive brand of batsmanship, that experts and analysts attributed to Gambhir's presence in the dug-out. The individuals, too, stepped up with the old warhorses such as the Caribbean duo of Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, proving their might and mettle when travails stared them in their face.

The sprightly West Indians, possessing a wise head on their not-so-old shoulders, passed their wealth of experience to some of the greenhorns in the team who instantly took a cue from them, nonchalantly flaunting their skills, clearly demonstrating that they were not overawed by the occasion.

Head coach Chandrakant Pandit, who boasts an impressive track record at domestic circuit with multiple Ranji Trophy wins, with his assured and calming presence was the perfect foil for Gambhir's in-your-face demeanour that not many warm up to. Captain Shreyas Iyer, who, along with Ishan Kishan, had been stripped of a BCCI contract in the months leading up to the IPL for giving the domestic tournaments a miss, redeemed himself at the earliest possible opportunity with his captaincy acumen earning him laurels. He would do well not to rest on them unlike in the past which came at a heavy price literally and figuratively. All in all, it had been a season to savour for the Knight Riders but given the pain they had endured they should be wary of not slipping back into that dreadful state of quiescence. In this age of instant gratification, just the mere thought of another ten-year wait for trophy number four induces profound fear among its passionate fan base.