Kolkata Knight Riders have delayed a decision on naming their new captain and coach. After a marathon meeting among the top brass of the franchisee on Tuesday (August 4), the team management said that the final decision would be made by the end of this month.

Even though Sourav Ganguly was not named as the captain as was widely expected, Dada will continue to play a major role within the franchise as a mentor and specifically in putting forth a plan of action for the team to follow.

Ganguly, who was tipped to take over the captaincy reins again, joined the team owners Shah Rukh Khan and Jay Mehta to deliberate on the issues, but an immediate solution could not be found.

However, team director, Joy Bhattacharya made it clear that Dada would be a crucial part in the decision making process.

The Bollywood star co-owned franchise finished a disappointing 8th in the second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in South Africa earlier this year. The team was rocked and split down the middle by the controversial multi-captaincy theory of John Buchanan.

New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum was given the responsibility to lead the team, but he failed miserably. Sources suggest that though a formal decision has not been made yet, Sourav Ganguly remains the front runner for the captain’s post in edition three of the cash-rich Twenty20 tournament.

McCullum’s performance in the last edition did not inspire confidence, and Ricky Ponting will not be available for the full season. The KKR management does not want Chris Gayle’s explosive batting to be affected by captaincy responsibilities.

Meanwhile, sources told TIMES NOW that former coach of Pakistan Richard Pybus has emerged as a frontrunner to be the coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders. Pybus who was the coach of Pakistan in two spells between 1999 and 2003 recently quit as coach of South African domestic side Nashua Titans.

The KKR management is looking for someone with an experience of coaching in the sub continent. Equally importantly they are looking for someone low profile after the experience with John Buchanan and that is where Pybus enters the race.

A final decision is expected to be taken by the end of this month. But more importantly, the KKR management wants to ensure that the focus remains firmly on the team for its performances rather than off-field controversies.

(Agency)