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Q: Your views on the IPL 2024 final. Any learnings from KKR winning strategy?
A: The strategy for any IPL match in general and IPL final in particular in this case is anybody’s guess. Too many factors affect the pre-planning before the match and during the match. And this influences every decision including shot selections and fielding placement. I can’t exactly pinpoint the micro elements that worked for KKR. Hence I would focus on the macro factors that have revealed KKR’s character as a team:
- KKR played consistently throughout the tournament, and in every department of the game.
- The team management (whoever that may be) has focused on selecting a balanced team with batting and bowling skills, all-rounders, pinch-hitters and a skilled captain in his own craft (though he is under punitive measures by the authorities)
- The main coach and other coaches of various departments of the game do play a significant role in creating competence in every area of a game –individually– thereby creating a multiplicative effect on the overall performance specially in the crunch games and in case of any contingencies (eg when the anticipated performance of a key player goes below par), the other players were in a position to step in those situations.
- I must mention about the lead coach –Gautam Gambhir– who has had stints twice over in other franchises, but he couldn’t excel. In the case of KKR, he excelled and how! I know it’s a post-game conclusion but if you observe the consistency he brought in each match without any brouhaha is certainly a quality to be appreciated.
This brings me to the culture that the owner could inculcate in the overall environment of managing team spirit – be it victory or loss. It’s not easy to develop such a homogeneous culture where even foreign players were present. In fact three of the foreign players contributed hugely in maintaining the winning streak of the team.
The Badshah of Bollywood didn’t try impose/ extrapolate the same formula in the 22 yards, as in his films. I am sure he gave freedom to Gautam Gambhir and his team to engender a camaraderie amongst all that could give the team members a Zen-like attitude against the two imposters- victory and defeat, so long they could win the third title. Since winning is an attitude, KKR evinced the same throughout the season.
There are micro factors also which could be decoded —I know hindsight is a precise science- eg it was great toss to lose by KKR. The opponent’s reading of the pitch was erroneous. Secondly, the opponent team applied the same principle of excelling in the final encounter. This formula contributed to showing a stellar performance (vis-a -vis the previous years) in matches they won, even if it didn’t ensure consistent performance during the season. A rigid formula in micro situations need not be a success. Every match in a T20 game is unique and needs micro response with macro capabilities underpinning it.
I think the KKR team has inculcated the right character of a winner, consistently, which ultimately differentiated a winner from a loser.