Speaking on Star Sports, former KKR skipper Gautam Gambhir has pointed out the difference between the player management skills of Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore. His comments comes after the end of the retention window before IPL 2021 auctions. KKR released just five players ahead of the auction, while RCB released as many as 10 players including names like Aaron Finch, Chris Morris and Moeen Ali.
Gautam Gambhir said KKR retaining the likes of Dinesh Karthik and Kuldeep Yadav is a sign that the team is backing the players while there is no suck sign in the RCB camp. While Kuldeep picked up just one wicket in five games last season, Karthik scored 169 runs in 14 games at an average of 14.08. Due to his poor form with the bat, Karthik was also removed from captaincy with Eoin Morgan being given the job in his place.
Also Read: Gautam Gambhir Backs CSK’s Retention Policy
“Dinesh Karthik had a very bad season last year. He was also removed from the captaincy, but despite that if you have retained him, it shows that the franchise is backing you. And because of that your confidence increases, and that is the difference between KKR and RCB,” Gambhir said.
He further said that all the sides have retained the core while releasing the excess baggage from their squad.
All Sides Have Retained The Core: Gautam Gambhir
“I am in agreement with all those franchises who have not released too many players. It shows you have kept confidence in your players. This is called releasing just the excess baggage. So, it is not that surprising. The core is still there, they have not done too many changes,” he added.
Gautam Gambhir’s former IPL side KKR also released just five players ahead of the auction and retained the core of the side built around last four to five years.
Also Read: Kolkata Knight Riders Announce Retentions for IPL 2021
