IPL 2023: Three Mistakes KKR and CEO Venky Mysore made ahead of this Season

Kolkata Knight Riders are in dire straits. The two-time IPL champions have lost four on the trot and are tottering at 8th place, only by virtue of a superior net run rate.

Since the departure of Gautam Gambhir, KKR have never been the same. Dinesh Karthik's stint was a dismal one. While they had a glimmer of hope under Eoin Morgan with a late resurgence in 2021, things have gone back to familiar gloomy avenues yet again in the Shreyas Iyer-Nitish Rana period.

The two-time IPL champions were a fantastic outfit during Gambhir's era, as they won IPL in 2012 and 2014 - both in a thrilling fashion.

KKR's CEO Venky Mysore was the main architect of KKR's resurgence in the early 2010s. After three dismal seasons from 2008-10, KKR boldly decided to revamp their squad. Hometown hero Sourav Ganguly was axed and Delhi boy Gautam Gambhir was brought in.

It created a massive backlash but the decisions paid dividends. They won two IPL titles and everything was forgotten. Remember that open bus parade in Kolkata with Shah Rukh Khan dancing at the Eden Gardens alongside West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee? Those days seem like centuries ago.

Venky Mysore has been behind the team and has shown incredible support for all the players throughout the years. But since the 2018 season, some of the decisions that he and KKR have taken are nothing but baffling and sometimes ridiculously wrong.

We can speak about the decisions to appoint Dinesh Karthik, let Shubman Gill go and many more.

Let's come back to the harsh truth of the present. Venky Mysore is still at the KKR helm and still goes in every auction with a smile and after that, he vivaciously comments on the elite level of their recruitment. Yes, it has worked partly with some players, but the majority of their plans and recruitments have failed.

If we look at KKR's trophy tally - no IPL titles since 2014 and just a solitary Final appearance in 2021. In the last eight seasons, KKR have made it to the playoffs only four times. Players have changed, and Coaches have made ways out and brought in - but KKR as a franchise haven't managed a single silverware since.

And ahead this IPL season, Venky Mysore and KKR management made a few more glaring mistakes and took some measures which have been a bolt from the blue, and in a disastrous way. Let's have a closer inspection, NO, let's just take a look at their mistakes - as they are so glaring, they don't need any closer inspection-

1. The Baffling Trading Recruits

KKR traded in three players ahead of the IPL 2023 auction. Shardul Thakur was traded in from Delhi Capitals for INR 10.25 crore, and then KKR management thought to sign 'Speedster' Lockie Ferguson from Gujarat Titans for INR 10 crore, alongside him came Afghanistan's Rahmanullah Gurbaz for INR 50 Lakh.

Shardul Thakur played a brilliant knock against RCB to give KKR their first victory of the season. Since then, his performance hasn't been noteworthy, and the player hasn't even been in the team in the last two matches. And Lockie? He was battered around the parks and now he finds himself out of the team as well.

KKR ate up INR 20.25 crores on these two players, and so far the investment has paid zero dividends. Imagine they had the amount for auction!

2. Betting their life on Russell and Narine

Andre Russell and Sunil Narine are KKR stalwarts, and there is no denying that. But KKR have failed to realize pragmatism and have thus failed to move on. Russell's demonic batting prowess is mostly a sporadic storm these days and Sunil Narine also have been lacklustre in recent times.

KKR still have kept on their faith in the belief that their Golden Ducks may lay a million-dollar egg one day. Narine and Russell both so far haven't done anything worthy this season. Both have been dismissed twice on a Golden Duck though, a statistician has certain worth for it.

In the ruthless world of franchise cricket, KKR have been soft and may have paid the price for that. Without any disrespect to the stalwarts, it vividly looks the mystery and mayhem of both Narine and Russell have been exposed and halted so far this season.

3. Where are the Bowlers?

And finally, KKR bowlers need to have a look in the mirror. Umesh Yadav, Kulwant Khejroliya are the Indian pacers in the team and so far it has been a horror show. The Indian pace battery is pale and so is their overseas pace attack. Russell has also bowled once in a blue moon, further exposing their fragile endoskeleton.

Shardul Thakur has also been awful so far in the matches that he has bowled. All in all, the bowling which was a strong forte for them once, has gone haywire so far and needs a radical change to turn things around.

But again, the recruitment in the bowling was not apt. Lockie Ferguson's 10 crores could have been used in signing at least two quality bowlers in the auction.

KKR may still have a great season. They may go on to win the next ten games and beyond to win the IPL this year. But these glaring mistakes are chronic, and any acute medicine can only delay the eventual dismay, not cure it.