Speculations are rife in the cricketing world as what role Sourav Ganguly might play in IPL 4 after he remained unsold to ten franchises on Saturday and Sunday.
Reports appear in a section of the press claiming Kolkata Knight Riders owner Shah Rukh Khan is keen to have the former India captain, but it does not specify what role will be left for the 36-year-old southpaw to play in the team which he captained for three seasons.
Read Latest News on this : IPL lifeline for Sourav Ganguly
After the two-day IPL auction ended on Sunday, Ganguly remained unsold as none of the ten franchises were willing to buy him as a player.
While Ganguly’s exclusion on the first day left most commentators stunned, it was on the second day that the speculations peaked up fuelling expectations that one of the franchises might pick him up, once the unsold players were put up for auctioning for the second time.
Ganguly, whose last dream to win IPL championship remained unfulfilled, was also “untouchable” for the franchises after he put his base price of $400,000.
But buy or not on “dada” price, the country’s cricket fans by and large felt the pinch after India’s most successful skipper was left unsold when many uncapped players commanded enviable bids.
Shah Rukh Khan said that he would talk to “dada” and that KKR would try to take him onboard.
KKR’s chief executive officer, Venky Mysore, however, said they were willing to take Ganguly as a mentor the way Royal Challengers Bangaluru did with Anil Kumble.
This, of course, he said would depend on Ganguly’s inclination.
“Sourav is somebody I have always admired and have immense respect for. I still don’t call him by his first name, it’s always Ganguly. He has been a great ambassador for the country, whichever shape or form, he has been phenomenal,” Mysore said.