IPL 2022 – KKR Disconnect with Bengal: Cricket Association of Bengal on Monday urged city’s IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to have more players from the state. Since medium pacer Sayan Ghosh’s presence in their ranks for IPL 2017, not one Bengal cricketer has been a part of KKR till the just-concluded edition of the competition Follow IPL 2022 Updates with InsideSport.IN
“We would love to see more Bengal players in KKR. I had raised the issue of reviving the catchment area concept in IPL in BCCI,” Avishek Dalmiya said on the sidelines of the inter-school KMC Mayor’s Cup final at Eden Gardens.
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But it’s been a long time since a player from Bengal represented the two time former champions in the IPL.
- Since medium pacer Sayan Ghosh’s presence in their ranks for IPL 2017, not one Bengal cricketer has been a part of the Knight Riders squad
- The city franchise’s apparent “indifference” towards Bengal cricketers is a point that gets mentioned after almost every IPL season.
In the past many from Bengal, including the former India captain Sourav Ganguly, Manoj Tiwary, Wriddhiman Saha, Shreevats Goswami and Mohammed Shami played in the purple colours.
“… I would like to add one thing that we want more Bengal players in KKR. This will increase the emotional connect and we will relate to the team from the gallery in a much more deeper sense.
“And who knows what can happen if you play well in the IPL.”, Dalmiya said on the sidelines of the inter-school KMC Mayor’s Cup final at Eden Gardens.
Where is the catchment area concept ask Dalmiya?
“After 2009, the catchment areas, which are very important, ceased to exist. I had raised the issue of its revival during the Board’s AGM two years ago. It’s important in the sense that promising players of the region get an opportunity to showcase their skills while the fans too can connect and relate more with that franchise,” Dalmiya added.
St James School defeated Nava Nalanda High School by eight wickets to win the tournament involving 32 school teams.
“We are giving utmost importance to this meet because we want more players to come through the ranks and sons of soil to make up for the Bengal team. The Cricket Talent Search Committee will also look into these young talents.”
The tournament returned after a two-year gap following the Covid-19 pandemic.
KKR are one of the sponsors of the meet and Avishek said: “We can hope to see junior knights from these players. The money given by them will be utilised for the development of budding cricketers.”
Jagmohan Dalmiya remembered
The final of the tournament coincided with former ICC and BCCI president late Jagmohan Dalmiya’s 82nd birth anniversary.
Remembering the talent search programme initiated by Dalmiya during his tenure as the BCCI president, Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim said: “This was his initiative and he’s responsible for bringing out so many great cricketers today.
“We fondly remember him on his birthday today and show our deepest respect towards him.
“He had given his entire life to the game of cricket and transformed the game on its head. He brought meaningful changes to cricket structurally, administratively and in its outlook both at the national level as BCCI chief and at international level as ICC Chairman.”
CAB president Avishek Dalmiya, vice-president Naresh Ojha, mayor Hakim, CAB secretary Snehashis Ganguly, assistant secretary Debabrata Das among others paid floral tributes to Dalmiya on his birthday.
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