I play to win, not to compete: Gambhir

KKR skipper emphasises the need to be aggressive ahead of big final against CSK

The IPL 2012 final is all set to be a battle between the seasoned big-game pros and the eager first-timers. The Kolkata Knight Riders will walk out as equals for the first time in the biggest match of the IPL calendar. KKR is a team moulded in the reflection of its skipper, Gautam Gambhir. The southpaw has not only led from the front with the bat, but has also ensured that the team stays united through thick and thin. 

Awaiting the franchise’s biggest test till date, Gambhir is keen to prove his side’s mettle in the crunch encounter on Sunday. The KKR skipper minced no words in the pre-match captains’ press conference where he emphasised the need to play with aggression in order to topple the mightyChennai Supeer Kings. 

Excerpts from Gautam Gambhir’s pre-match press conference.

On the contrast between his on and off-field demeanour.

I don’t know what the real Gaum Gambhir is like. When you go out on the field, you don’t go out to make friends. You go out to get results for your teams. And for that if I have to be aggressive on the field [so be it]. That’s what I play cricket for; I play to win the game and not just to compete. So, on the field if I have to be aggressive at times, I have to be. If I can rub that energy off on the other 10 players, and I have always maintained that it’s the 11 players that make a successful captain. A successful captain doesn’t make a successful team. So, I have never undermined my role as a captain and I’ve always believed that it’s the 11 players that win you the game of cricket. Individuals can only contribute and they are picked to contribute. Tomorrow, if I get picked for a certain team, that is my responsibility to score runs. I am not doing anybody a favour. I am going out there to do a job for myself. 

On playing a formidable CSK side in Chennai.

No doubt they are playing in their own backyard and they’ve been two-time winners, so they know how to play the finals. This is our first final, but you always believe that you go into a big game like this you start at 50-50. Especially in a T20 game when you go out on the field, there is no time to make comebacks; you always have to be on your toes. I’ve always maintained that Chennai is a very good side, especially in their own backyard. Their record speaks for them. So, we need to be up for it and we need to be more than 100 percent tomorrow to try and play some good cricket. And I’ve always believed that results are not in your favour, the only thing that’s in your favour is to go out there and give your 100 percent. If we play to our potential, definitely we’ll be having a good game tomorrow. 

On the focus being on the Super Kings making it a hat-trick of IPL titles, ahead of the final.

They won twice in a row [IPL titles], so obviously the talk has to be around them. But I’ve always maintained that it’s good to go into the game with a low profile. In such games there are no favourites, there are no underdogs. To me, everyone in a big game starts at 50-50; whoever plays well on that day takes the cake. Chennai is a very good side and whatever talks are happening about them, they deserve every bit of it. At the same time, we’ve played some good cricket and we’ve got a lot of quality; not only this year. The way we’ve played in the last two years, we deserve every bit of it [success]. 

On what the fans mean to the team.

Whenever we’ve walked on to the field, we don’t go out to play for individuals. We’ve always wanted to give some joy back to the Kolkata people. I think they’ve given us fantastic support even in the first three years when things were not going our way. So, when we walk out on the field tomorrow, I can promise all the KKR fans that we’ll go out there and give our 100 percent. KKR is not about one or two heroes, it’s about the people who have supported us back home. 

Gambhir is an aggressive captain: Dhoni

CSK skipper says unlike him, his KKR counterpart is very expressive on the field

The Chennai Super Kings are no strangers to the big stage. The Men in Yellow have lifted the IPL trophy twice already, and they have also won the CLT20. Now, they gear up to defend their IPL crown and try to make it three in a row. This time their foes are the inspired Kolkata Knight Riders.

The Super Kings were almost certain to bow out of IPL 2012 after the league stage itself. But a fine twist of fate kept them alive, and with two thumping wins in the playoffs, MS Dhoni’s men complemented their luck with top-class performances. 

Before their big match, CSK skipper MS Dhoni and KKR captain Gautam Gambhir addressed the media and posed with the glittering trophy that one of them will hold high on the night of May 27.

On the occasion, Dhoni spoke about the qualities that make CSK such formidable outfit, his role in the side as the leader and he even analysed his India teammate, Gambhir, as a captain.

How tense were the moments when you had to depend on the other teams’ results to know your fate in the tournament?

There was a scenario in Australia where we could’ve gotten into the finals of the CB Series, but it didn’t go our way. We were faced with a similar situation in the Asia Cup and again, we lost out. This is something that’s not in your hands, so there’s no point wasting your energy thinking about it. There were quite a few results that had to go in our favour. Watching all those games getting tense about the results wouldn’t have helped us. So, we decided to enjoy the games and leave the rest. Things went our way and we reopened our bags and came to Chennai.

Does the role of a captain change much in the Twenty20 format?

How good a captain you are depends on what kind of resources you have and how they react to scenarios. Every player has a different way of reacting to various situations. As a captain, you need to understand that difference and channelize the resources in the best possible way. We, at CSK, put a lot of emphasis on the players going and enjoying the game and expressing themselves. I don’t believe in instructing players how they need to play because every player has a unique style. The key is to get the best out of them without changing their natural game. That has really worked for us so far. At crucial stages, individuals have stood up and come out with the big performances. 

How would you describe Gautam Gambhir as captain?

Gautam is an aggressive captain – a bit different from me. I am aggressive as well, but I’m not very expressive on the field. Gautam, on the other hand, is very expressive. Even if the game is in his pocket, he is still on his toes, demanding that his players keep up the momentum and wrap the game up convincingly. That is his strength as a leader and he’s done really well with KKR.

What’s the one area in which the team has improved significantly since the first season?

Overall, we’ve made a lot of progress in the fielding. Right since the first edition, we’ve worked on this area because in this format, the 10 runs saved in the field can have a very big impact on the game in the end. Now, we’re proud of the fact that we’re a very good fielding side.

How do you look at the final?

It’s another opportunity for someone to be a hero – that’s how I look at it. Tomorrow somebody, either from our side or KKR will be a hero. There will be added pressure on the players, given it’s the final and how they react to this pressure will be the key.

As an opposition captain, what do you think makes Sunil Narine such a big threat?

The variations that he’s got and his consistency with the line and length. It’s very difficult to pick which one he’s going to bowl – whether it’s the one that comes back into the right-hander or the one that goes away. Something that we’ve seen is that consistency pays a lot of dividends for a bowler in this format. [Lasith] Malinga is one such example. The batsmen look to take you on and if you’re consistent with the line and length, there are more chances of them missing and you getting wickets.

Murali Vijay was struggling in the beginning of the tournament and now he’s in red-hot form. How would you describe this turnaround?

He didn’t do well in the first few matches that he played. We gave him rest in the next few games and told him that we want the real Murali Vijay to bat and not an imposter who looks like him. He has done well in the past and has got the right talent to be successful at this level. But during that lean patch, he was not himself and that was our main concern. I told him, I wouldn’t pick just any batsman in you. But if you come back to being the old Murali Vijay, you’ll be an asset to have in the team. I just asked him to go back into the nets, express himself and promised to back him if he did so. And he responded to it very well.

Dhoni and Gambhir inspire differently

Contrasting captaincy styles in store for IPL 2012 grand finale

The road to glory is often arduous, and the path towards the IPL title is certainly one that requires a lot of character and temperance. Sport has no definite formula for success; as a result, the IPL 2012 final also presents an opportunity to witness two contrasting captaincy styles of the leaders of the two finalists. MS Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir might have played and won a lot together, but come Sunday, they’ll be trying to outfox each other with their own brand of leadership. 

The Super Kings have been there and done that by peaking at the right time and carrying on that momentum all the way till winning the trophy. Meanwhile, the Knight Riders are making their first appearance in an IPL final thanks to Gambhir’s ability to get his players firing in unison. 

“Gautam is an aggressive captain – a bit different from me. I am aggressive as well, but I’m not very expressive on the field and that has been the strength of CSK. Gautam, on the other hand, is very expressive,” Dhoni said as he emphasised how he’s different from the KKR skipper.

“Even if the game is in his pocket, he is still on his toes, demanding that his players keep up the momentum and wrap the game up convincingly. That is his strength as a leader and he’s done really well with KKR,” he added. 

The goal of both teams remains the same but the method chosen for achieving victory varies. KKR follow their skipper’s mantra of one for all and all for one, while CSK leave more room for individual brilliance; for example, Murali Vijay’s electrifying knock in Qualifier 2 against the Delhi Daredevils. 

“KKR is not about one or two heroes, it’s about the people who have supported us back home,” Gambhir emphasised ahead of Sunday’s final. 
Dhoni, on the other hand, put the onus on one of the 22 players to etch his name in their team’s folklore. “It’s another opportunity for someone to be a hero – that’s how I look at it. Tomorrow somebody, either from our side or KKR will be a hero,” he said. 

All in all, the final at the MA Chidambaram Stadium promises to be a fascinating encounter with a battle of cricketing philosophies awaiting fans worldwide. 

Preview: Final - KKR v CSK, IPL 2012

Super Kings and Knight Riders star in the Grand Finale in Chennai

What

After 53 days and 75 matches of riveting action, the last two teams left standing – the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Chennai Super Kings – go head-to-head in the title clash of DLF IPL 2012.

The Kolkata Knight Riders have been the most successful team in the competition so far, having won 69 percent of the 16 matches they’ve played. Gautam Gambhir’s side finished the league stage in second place and then defeated table-toppers Delhi Daredevils in the first playoff match. As a result, they directly qualified for the Final.

When the Chennai Super Kings finished their league engagements (they were the first team to play out all their 16 league fixtures) on May 17, they had left their fortunes in the hands of other teams. Thankfully for the defending champions – who looked far from a dominating team in the league stage – many results went their way and they sneaked into the playoffs in fourth place. In their two playoff matches though, CSK have brought their best game to the park and have been at their commanding best; they defeated the Mumbai Indians by 38 runs in the Eliminator and then thrashed the Delhi Daredevils by a mammoth 85 runs in Qualifier 2.

Both teams are evenly matched in terms of personnel and must be high on confidence heading into this contest. However, one must concede that the defending champions have the edge. And here’s why:

• CSK will be playing at home and know the conditions on hand

• CSK will have the crowd rooting for them

• CSK have the momentum of two big wins behind them

• CSK have played in three finals and know what it takes to win those big moments

The Kolkata Knight Riders start as underdogs; Gautam Gambhir’s boys are playing in an IPL final for the very first time. Will the underdogs be able to shrug off the rustiness from their break, stand up to the pressure of a title clash and cause an upset? Will we have a new IPL Champion? Only time will tell.

When

Sunday, May 27, 2012, 08:00 p.m. 

Where 

MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai 

The Protagonists 

Unlike several other teams in the competition, who have thrived on individual brilliance, KKR and CSK have made it this far because of contributions from several players. For both teams, their successful journeys have been a sum of several parts.

Gautam Gambhir and Sunil Narine have been the standout performers – and by a long way – as far as the Kolkata Knight Riders are concerned. The former is the second-highest run-getter in the competition with 588 runs and has shown lots of intent to score big at the top of the order. Given what is at stake, expect the KKR skipper to come out even stronger, value his wicket even more and lead from the front. Narine, meanwhile, has been unplayable right through the competition; his flummoxing of batsmen with a variety of deliveries has not only resulted in wickets, but it has also meant opposition batsmen have found scoring runs difficult. The Trinidadian turned 24 on the eve of the match, and winning the Purple Cap and leading his team to an IPL title will be the best present he could give himself.

But Gambhir and Narine are only half the picture. There have been important and match-winning contributions from several other players at crucial junctures. It would be unfair to overlook the contributions made by Yusuf Pathan (who was a pale shadow of his former self until he played a match-winning cameo against the Delhi Daredevils), Jacques Kallis, Shakib Al Hasan, Lakshmipathy Balaji, Rajat Bhatia, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Brendon McCullum, Brett Lee and Manvinder Bisla at various junctures. KKR will be hoping all their players to do their jobs well one last time this season.

Faf du Plessis was the only consistent performer in the CSK ranks in the first half of the season. However, since then, several players (S Badrinath, Michael Hussey, Ravindra Jadeja, Albie Morkel and Dwayne Bravo, among others) have stepped up and won them games at various times. Murali Vijay was the latest to join the list. His scintillating 113 against the Delhi Daredevils was his first 50-plus score of the season; but that it won his team the match and ensured passage to the final must give him a lot of confidence. Expect him to shrug off all doubts over his form and come out a confident individual when he walks out to bat.

Suresh Raina is the only top-order batsman among the CSK regulars who’s not scored a half-century this season. For a player of his class and reputation (he is the leading run-getter in the IPL and the only player to aggregate more than 400 runs every season), a season aggregate of 368 runs and a best of 44 does not do justice. The southpaw got some valuable time in the middle in the previous match and was timing the ball well before he miscued one back to the bowler. CSK management and fans will be hoping the left-hander can come through in this all-important match.

Keep an eye on the two captains too; Gambhir and Dhoni are two shrewd thinkers and both players will be trying to outsmart each other. Their decision-making skills will be under the spotlight – especially after some bizarre selections and decision-making we’ve witnessed in the last few games.

Previous Meetings

In the nine matches played between the Chennai Super Kings and the Kolkata Knight Riders, the former have a 6-3 win-loss record.

In the two meetings earlier this season, both teams couldn’t win in their own backyard but went on to win their away matches. In the first meeting in Chennai, KKR restricted the hosts to 139 for five and then chased down the runs in the last over. When the two teams met for the second time – this time in Kolkata – the hosts were restricted to 158 for six, and the visitors chased down the target losing five wickets in the process, and getting past the finish line off the very last ball of the match.

Trivia

The Kolkata Knight Riders have an awesome away record this season; they’ve lost only one of their nine matches on the road in DLF IPL 2012.

Gautam Gambhir has an outstanding record against the Chennai Super Kings; he’s scored five half-centuries in nine IPL innings against them.

The team batting first has won three out of the four IPL finals played till now.

MS Dhoni’s batting average against the Kolkata Knight Riders is an incredible 120 from six innings; his scores against KKR are 43*, 40*, 66*, 29, 34* and 28.

What next?

After two months of hectic, fast-paced cricket, the curtain will come down on DLF IPL 2012. The winners will take home the DLF IPL Trophy and a cheque of Rs 10 crore, while the losers will have to be content with a Rs 7.5 crore cheque. Both teams will next be seen in action in the 2012 Champions League Twenty20, where they will be pitted against the best clubs from around the world.

IPL 2012: Match 75, Qualifier 2

25 May 2012 · 140 Photos