‘The franchisee is a business body and why would they take local players who don’t perform’

Exactly a year after Shah Rukh Khan launched the theme song for Kolkata Knight Riders Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo Re, the team owners seem to be shedding the Kolkata tag from the team.

The owners, Khan and Jay Mehta, have already snatched captaincy from Sourav Ganguly, handing it over to New Zealand player Brendan McCullum.

Besides, Kolkata has been dropped from the franchisee’s official logo and when McCullum will go out to toss on Sunday in the opener against Deccan Chargers at Cape Town, it will be Knight Riders, and not Kolkata Knight Riders.

The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) —the hosting body of the team for whom Eden Gardens is still the official ‘home’— is disappointed. “I am surprised to learn they are dropping ‘Kolkata’ from the team. They had done it earlier (during Knight Riders’ week-long camp at Eden in March). But they changed it back to the old logo,” CAB joint-secretary Arun Mitra told The Indian Express.

Besides Ganguly, Bengal skipper Laxmi Ratan Shukla, fast bowler Ashoke Dinda and wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha are the only local players in the large squad. “The franchisee is a business body and why would they take local players who don’t perform,” Mitra said.

Further, Mehta is also exploring venues other than the Eden for next IPL seasons. A KKR delegation has quietly toured the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack and a stadium in Ahmedabad. CAB sources said the franchisee was looking for other venues because it was not cost-effective to host matches in Kolkata. “To play at Eden, the franchisee has to make massive payments to Kolkata police and Kolkata Municipal Corporation. It will be difficult for the CAB to convince team owners to remain in Edens,” the source disclosed.