Only pluses for Kolkata Knight Riders in 2011
2011 was a big season for Kolkata Knight Riders, who rebuilt their team from the ground up in order to change their fortunes on the field
Tariq Engineer
25-Feb-2013
2011 was a big season for Kolkata Knight Riders, who rebuilt their team from the ground up in order to change their fortunes on the field. They managed to finish in the top four for the first time, but were an over away from being in the top two, and lost to Mumbai in the first eliminator. There was also the controversy surrounding Gautam Gambhir’s shoulder injury. In an interview in the Telegraph, their coach, Dav Whatmore, looks back on the season and all the drama around it.
Please be honest... Was Gambhir fit to play the eliminator against the Mumbai Indians?
Did you see the way Gambhir ran out Rohit Sharma? I rest my case there... Gambhir would never prefer the franchise over country.
But Gambhir’s been hauled over the coals for playing all 15 matches despite a shoulder problem...
There are two types of injuries... One is trauma, when you get struck on your arm and a bone breaks or when you snap a hamstring while going for a run... You’ve then got to rest, there’s no option. The other type is an injury which develops slowly... Such injuries need to be managed... Some call them niggles and the issue is at what point does a player take a break in order to manage better.
Tariq Engineer is a former senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo