KKR - New IPL Champion

IPL (India Premiere League) in India has been a carnival of cricket; due to the cocktail of India’s two most entertaining sector on the same platform makes it a more vibrant and passionate among the Indians. We have been advocating IPL from last 5 years to the world and we have been giving the chance and to exposure some great young talents in India. For new players in India, it is an opportunity to showcase their talents and to share a dressing room with foreign players; on top of that they have been receiving handsome cheques from their respective franchises. 1st season was captured by Rajasthan Royal, and the other 3 times it was captured by Deccan Chargers and Chennai Super King. Best part is that CSK won it two consecutive times and this could have been their 3rd time. Defending champion CSK played like champion team and at last they were defeated by Kolkata Knight Riders.

This was KKR’s maiden victory in last 5 seasons but what a win. For four years they had fought hard to reach this place and finally in the fifth year they managed to reach here. They had a plan for each player and for each game they played. They were not that fast and furious team as a bowling unit; instead they had 3 vital spinners which turned the game for them in the entire season. Match after match they played as a team, they united and worked in such a way that someone clicked from the entire team in each match. Remember it was a long season and they dominated the entire championship like a real Knight Riders. Captain cool of CSK also managed a BIG smile and praised the brave attempt of KKR champs. Here we must have to praise KKR’s captain Gautam Gambhir who is India’s top class opening batsman and KKR’s captain. He hasn't only united the entire team but also prepared his entire team to fight against mighty Mahendra Singh Dhoni. MSD is a BIG name in India and in world cricket. MSD’s few achievements in the recent past are world Twenty20 champion, One Day champion, Stood first in test cricket and had won the IPL for two times. Top of Form

Gautam must have these facts and figures in his mind while competing with Dhoni’s CSK, but having said that Gautam on the other hand was well prepared this time and he worked on his team's strengths and analyzed on his opponent's weakness. In spite of his cheap dismissal in the finals Gautam and his team mates were confident enough to clinch the victory, Bisla from nowhere came to the ground and snatch the victory from CSK’s hand, and this is the power and believes that Gautam and his coach created in the minds of their team members.

Once, I wrote an article on Shahrukh Khan’s behavior on MCA episode. I was very annoyed on his behavior, similarly like me, many more in India who admires him must had felt bad. Actually he is like that, he is a passionate man and he only wants to WIN. I have seen his failures also and sometimes I feel that he is a man who can’t take failure in his life, but does that mean Shahrukh had never faced failure in his life. Oh come on I might be joking. No one in this life has tested success without testing failure in his/her life. I had even heard that he was without food for several days in Mumbai. Moreover in IPL too he tested failure for 4 long years and this time he and his entire team were desperate to win this title at any cost. He was overwhelmed by his team’s performance which lead him to do something mischievous in MCA episode but as a role model and as a celebrity Shahrukh must know his roles and responsibility in the society, He is the one who guides entire young wannabes to the right direction and he if starts doing something which we never expect him to do then it becomes a talk of the town and critics take the driver seat to say all which he as an actor and a respectable person will never like to hear.

After leading Kolkata Knight Riders to its maiden IPL title win, skipper Gautam Gambhir said the victory sends out a message that cricket is a team game and it is not confined to individual performances. Gambhir's strong reaction came when he was asked if team hoped of win when he himself was out early while chasing 191. He was also asked about spinner Sunil Narine's contribution in his side's impressive show this season. But the skipper asserted that his side was out to prove a point that it's the team that wins and deserves credit and not any individual. Gambhir got a bit irritated when he was asked about West Indian spinner Narine's contribution in team's success. "Since the first press conference I did, I've said I hate to talk about individuals. It was not about Sunil Narine. KKR has never been about one individual, whether that's me or someone else. There has been a lot of talk about my form. I got a hundred in Bangladesh, I had a decent ODI series, but it was not about that.

"We all wanted to prove to the nation that cricket is a team sport and credit should go to the team. If you want individual credit you should play tennis, badminton or some individual sport, not a team sport such as cricket. “From the first day I put this to the team: there will be no single day when the credit goes to an individual. Victory always belongs to the team. It was important to prove to the country that cricket is a team game, and hopefully we've gone some way in doing that," he said. When Gambhir was addressing the media, he was not smiling despite a memorable win. Asked about this, he said, "Maybe it has to sink in. Maybe when that happens I'll get a smile on my face. As I said, that's how I've been. It works for me. Being intense does not mean that you're always serious. Sometimes you just want to be in your shell and not show out too many emotions to the world. “When quizzed, how team co-owner Shah Rukh Khan reacted to the last-over win, Gambhir said the Bollywood star has been a good support and deserved this happiness, specially after a few controversies around him. “I can only guess that he should be happy. He's been a great owner. Not once in the tournament has he put any pressure on me or the team. Though we started by losing the first two games, he never interfered with the cricket aspects. “There has been the suggestion that he has interfered in the past, but ever since I was made captain he has not interfered with the cricket. That's the kind of owner you want. It was important for us to win it for him because he's seen a lot of lows and controversies, and when someone's done that it's important they get to savour success when it comes."Gambhir also had special mention for the Kolkata Knight Riders' fans. "KKR fans deserve every bit of the success. They've always backed us. I said this before as well: when things weren't going our way they stood by us, and we wanted to win it for them. This is not our victory; this is a victory for the fans of KKR. I just want to say thank you for all the support and love the fans have given us.

Nevertheless it was a great win from the KKR's point of view and we all appreciate and congratulate Gambir and entire KKR team on their maiden IPL victory and wish them many more such IPL victories in the future!