'13-year-old Gambhir-Rohit KKR tactics uncovered as Ganguly replacement after receiving 400 messages in 5 minutes, says Shah Rukh'

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly had a polarizing tenure with Kolkata Knight Riders, but during the early days of the IPL, he was the face of the franchise. Despite his struggles on the field, his connection to the city of Kolkata and his status as a cricketing legend made him a beloved figure for KKR fans. When KKR made the controversial decision to release Ganguly after the 2010 season, it sparked outrage among supporters. However, the franchise had already lined up two replacements for Ganguly, both of whom have since become integral parts of the Indian national team. This move marked a new chapter for KKR, as they looked to build a fresh team with a focus on youth and talent.

Speaking on the YouTube show, 'A Century Of Stories,' Joy Bhattacharjya, former team director of Kolkata Knight Riders, revealed that while co-owner Shah Rukh Khan had distanced himself from taking calls on the team combination, the decision on Ganguly was taken by three people - himself, head coach Dav Whatmore and then managing director of KKR Jeet Banerjee. Joy added that the criticism against KKR peaked after the franchise did not place a bid on Ganguly.

"Firstly, we've decided to part with Sourav, and that itself was fascinating. Shahrukh first distanced himself. He said, "Look, this is a professional team you guys are running." So basically it was Dav Whatmore, the coach, me and Jeet Banerjee. The best part was that two Bengalis were on that table. The moment we did not bid for him, within five minutes, I got 400 messages because there was somebody who put out on all groups that this was a Bengali who had betrayed our Bengali icon. I had to turn around and tell my dad that perhaps should take down my address board from our house in Salt Lake," he said.

Gambhir-Rohit ploy behind Ganguly move

Joy then broke down the logic behind KKR's plan to move away from Ganguly as they sought to invest in an Indian player, who was going to represent the country in the next 5-6 years. Hence, KKR had narrowed down their options to Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma.

"See that's what option study is all. So you haven't taken a shot of. What did we tell ourselves? We said we wanted an Indian player who's going to play for India and us for the next six or seven years, right? So we zeroed in, saying that Gautam Gambhir is the man. Gambhir and Rohit Sharma - That was our consideration set. Okay. We said we want two solid Indian batters," he added.

KKR did not place their bid on Rohit, who had already won an IPL trophy with Deccan Chargers, and eventually landed himself in Mumbai Indians, but acquired Gambhir for $2.4 million.

"You'll notice actually Kochi had decided they wanted Gautam Gambir for an 8 million dollar person they decided they wanted. But we just kept winning. When we took Gautam Gambir, we paid $2.4 million for him," he added.

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