We are 10 days into IPL season 2. Every team has played at least 3 games. Though all teams look very strong on paper (as was the case in IPL 1) but few teams look better placed than others. Royal Challengers and Knight Riders are languishing at the bottom of team standings. It is still early days to predict the outcome of tournament but, in my opinion, these two teams are unlikely to go to semis.
These two teams have formidable players in their line-up who could walk into any international team, yet they are not able to win matches.
What is ailing these teams? I think team owners and controversies surrounding the teams are to blamed for their lacklustre performance.
BRC have had lesser controversies in this season, but it is apparent that controversies from last season are still haunting them like firing of Charu Sharma and undue pressure on Rahul Dravid when he was their best batsman. In this season they have unceremoniously stripped Rahul Dravid of captaincy. And who became captain - Pietersen. A person who was not thought to be team player, someone who was removed from English captaincy by English Board, someone who had public disagreements with his team coach.
KKR, on the other hand, are in news every other day; albeit for wrong reasons. Multiple captains, blog by an self proclaimed mystery insider, sending back of players are just a few controversies surrounding them. KKR had few controversies in IPL season 1 as well but their media mangement was better.
As long as the controversies surround these teams, they will not be able to perform well. Franchise owners, on their part, have to give team members and support staff some leevay and not put undue pressure on them. They just have to look at the performance of Mumbai Indians and King XI Punjab in IPL 1. Franchise owners never pressurised the team (even though there were rumors which didn't become controversies) when Sachin Tendulkar was sitting out due to injury or when high profile Punjab XI was losing initially. They can also look at Delhi Daredevils - their best bowler from IPL 1, Glenn McGrath, is not playing and still there is no controversy.
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