FREE HIT - An IPL 2020 talk show with Boria Majumdar: Kolkata Knight Riders CEO Venky Mysore
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00:00Was there any alarm among the franchises when you heard the CSK thing coming out?
00:04I mean, as the boss of KKR, were you alarmed? Were you apprehensive?
00:08Did your players ask questions? I mean, did anybody sort of freak out?
00:17Hello and welcome to this edition of Free Hit on Gulf News.
00:20And my guest today is someone who I think is going to be a very, very important pivot for this IPL.
00:28Because we've seen the news coming out in the early parts and someone who understands the
00:33bio bubble and the sanctity of the bio bubble better than most has done lots of work on this
00:39aspect and has been constantly telling me in private conversations how important it is to
00:44secure the bubble for a safe and secure tournament. Welcome Venky Mysore to this show. Thank you very
00:50much for speaking to me. Thank you, Bhoria. Thanks for having me.
00:54When the news came out, my first thought was we've seen this in IPL. We've seen this in La Liga.
00:59We've seen this area. No panic, no alarm. But it tells you how important that bio bubble is.
01:05And I went back to the discussion you had with me when you said even the owners cannot break
01:11that bubble. That is sacrosanct. It is almost sacred. Thoughts on that?
01:16Having lived through this pandemic for now, what, at least six months, close to six months,
01:22I think if we step back for a second, even before we get into this sophisticated terminology like
01:28bio bubbles, I think at a simplistic level, we all should recognize the risk that's out there.
01:33And in the process, I think we've learned a lot over the last few months on how to protect
01:39ourselves. So in the context of what we know, if you look at staging a very high profile,
01:46perhaps one of the biggest extravaganzas, if you can, in terms of cricket,
01:53an IPL type of tournament, it's extremely important to understand how one has to function
01:59within the parameters of the risk. And that is where this whole concept of bio bubble has come
02:04into play, which means that what you're effectively doing is recognizing how this
02:09infection transmits itself. And in an environment where sports is being played,
02:14how do you protect yourself? So therefore, you're absolutely right. It is sacrosanct. And I think
02:20everybody has to be completely respectful of it and make sure that we don't underestimate under
02:26any circumstances. What's the message as the boss of KKR you've sent out to your team? I mean,
02:31in Dubai, in the bio bubble, in Abu Dhabi, you are in Abu Dhabi, your team is in Abu Dhabi at the
02:36rates. I mean, that's something that we'll talk about. But what is the messaging, the early
02:41message that has gone from the CEO to every stakeholder, player, support staff, media,
02:48social media team, everyone? What is the messaging that Venky Mysore has sent to the team?
02:52Two key messages that I give them. One is, do not compare this scenario with anything that you have
02:59experienced in the past. I said, this is a once in a century type of scenario that we are all
03:06going through. So don't say, this used to happen and that used to happen
03:11and therefore, why am I not being allowed to do this and all that? I said, please, let's mentally
03:16prepare ourselves to say, you can't even look back at any other paradigm. This is a new paradigm
03:21that we are in. Number two is, I said, do not under any circumstances underestimate the risk.
03:27No matter what SOPs are written, what document comes to you, what the government announces,
03:32all that. We all have to take responsibility, personal responsibility and accountability to
03:38ensure that we A, recognize that the risk that's out there and B, do everything that we know has
03:45to be done. Nothing is guaranteed in life and so anything can happen, who knows? But to the extent
03:51that you can mitigate that, here are all the steps that we should be undertaking and we have done
03:56that. So these are the two messages I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but I don't mind it
04:01because this is the message that needs to go out to everybody and I'm very happy to say that
04:06everyone has taken it in the right spirit. It is tougher in Abu Dhabi as we can discuss a bit more
04:12than it is perhaps in Dubai and in other places and so the fact remains that the team has been
04:20fantastic in terms of just accepting what we are going through and at the same time, completely
04:26complying in all respects. Tell me the challenges in Abu Dhabi, Venky, because a lot of your fans
04:32here, I mean in India, even in the Gulf didn't want to know it. The first impression when the
04:37tournament was going to be shifted to UAE was that they said there's no quarantining in UAE. UAE
04:43is completely open and so we can all go there and as long as we comply with the testing protocol,
04:49which means that you have to have a COVID negative report before you take off from
04:53wherever you're going, then you land in the airport, then you're tested again, as long as
04:58that was the initial impression that everybody had. But slowly but surely, we started realising
05:02that there's a lot more to it. And there are differentiations between Abu Dhabi and Dubai,
05:08for example. For example, Dubai does not have any mandatory quarantining requirement. So what
05:14people are supposed to do, we've all now heard that IPL teams that go there for the first six days,
05:19you have to be quarantined in your rooms, you have to have undergone three tests from the time you
05:23land, and only in the seventh day, you're allowed to come out and start practising. That is an IPL
05:30protocol. Now, you look at Abu Dhabi protocol. Abu Dhabi, just before we landed or thereabouts,
05:37we landed on the 20th of August, and they announced that there's a 14-day quarantine,
05:42mandatory in Abu Dhabi. So anybody who goes in, like a tourist who goes into Abu Dhabi,
05:47has to quarantine for 14 days. Dramatic difference to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Fortunately,
05:52what has happened is that we have been able to talk to the health ministries there and all the
05:57medical professionals. And I think they have understood that the biosecure bubble that we
06:03have created is a very, very stringent one. So to that extent, they have said that, okay,
06:08after six days, so now at least there's a little bit of a level playing field in saying that Dubai
06:13and Abu Dhabi, you go through the six days, you go through the testing, seventh day, you can start
06:17practicing. So they're allowing you to operate within the biosecure bubble.
06:22Was there any alarm among the franchises when you heard the CSK thing coming out? I mean,
06:27as the boss of OKKR, were you alarmed? Were you apprehensive? Did your players ask questions? I
06:32mean, did anybody sort of freak out? Because it's very possible. I mean, that was my second question
06:36that, you know, in a quarantine set up, bio bubble set up, 80 odd days, what about mental health of
06:42the players or the staff? Have you given any conscious thought to that? I don't think there
06:46was necessarily an alarm because, you know, we've been going through this for six months.
06:51And frankly, all of us, each of us in our respective lives, we know people who are very
06:56close to us or friends or acquaintances who have already been through this. I think it was more
07:02a matter of, okay, now what? You know, if this happens within the biosecure bubble environment
07:09and happens to another franchise, so what happens next? You know, what are they going to do?
07:14I mean, now contact tracing, which means that, does it mean that you have everybody who has
07:20come in contact with these people will also have to be quarantined? So those are the questions that
07:24came up more than anything else. I don't think anybody was necessarily alarmed. I also think
07:28that we had worked very hard to prepare our whole team mentally on what to expect. I think a lot of
07:35it is about communication. And notwithstanding that, you know, who wants to sit in a hotel room,
07:41although the view is great. We've got a very nice hotel with a very nice view and everything.
07:46And then, we've tried to make it as comfortable for our team as possible. But nobody likes to
07:51sit in the room. So we have come up with some creative ways in which our team is very smart
07:56that way on how to keep… Can you give me a sense?
07:59Oh, we had a fantastic quiz show on Zoom. And it was so much fun, I tell you. I mean,
08:07there were some silly questions, there were some serious questions, there were some cricket
08:11questions, and there were some Shah Rukh Khan, Bollywood questions. So, it was a lot of fun.
08:17And then, two days later, we did an amazing, I think, Antakshari type of an event for all of
08:26the people who were sitting in there. And I tell you, it was hilarious. I joined in, obviously.
08:32But I told them with a very straight face that, I'm glad your main profession is to play cricket
08:37and not singing. Because it was too hilarious to see.
08:43So, who's the better singer and who won the quiz?
08:46Oh, I don't know about who's the better singer. But certainly, the quiz was… I think people
08:53were quite smart, I must tell you. I was quite pleasantly surprised on their extent of being
09:00aware of everything. I think from a singing standpoint, the most daring and adventurous
09:06singer there is Rinku Singh in our group. My God, I mean, he started not only singing everything,
09:15I think Shubman was a very good singer, came up with a few things in there. And also, Rinku was
09:21with action. He was standing on his bed, no inhibitions. So, it was too much fun. And lot of
09:27laughs. When you do that, I think it relaxes people. And of course, we've made all the arrangements
09:33with the television, Netflix, this, that, whatever they need. So that people are… They have enough
09:39of an outlet. But fortunately, three days ago, the quarantine ended. They've started practicing.
09:44And they've gone three days in a row. So, this is their biggest thing. I mean, being out there,
09:49you could see… I saw videos of it and how happy they were to just be out there on the ground.
09:55That was my next question. How happy were they? I mean, what was the first
10:00practice session and liberation? I think what happens as human beings,
10:05we know when we're deprived of something and then suddenly you get it. You realize how much
10:10you value it more and how much you… I think there were two types of emotions. One is just a sense of,
10:17wow, okay, finally, we're out here. And the facilities were fantastic. And notwithstanding,
10:23all the things that they had to do, wear a mask and maintain social distance and sanitize and
10:28everything else, still, just for them to hear the bat hitting the ball was, I think, music. I mean,
10:35this is what professionals do. It was also a sense of appreciation for what we're going through.
10:43And in the midst of all of these things, to be able to go out and do what they love
10:47doing, I think there was a great sense of gratitude, I would say. I generally sensed that.
10:53I'm delighted to hear that, that you've taken care of the mental side of things.
10:57You know, final two questions before I let you go. One, and this is a cricket question. I've
11:02watched every game of the CPL and I've watched everything to do with England. Tell me about
11:07Tom Banton and Sunil Narayanan. How much has your smile widened when Tom Banton played that
11:14reverse switch hit for six and the scoops for six? I mean, this boy can… I mean, I saw him in the
11:20Vitality Blast. He was brilliant. But Tom Banton and Sunil Narayanan. Well, you know, I mean,
11:25obviously, we are going through CPL right now. And TKR, knock on wood, fingers crossed. We have played 6-1-6.
11:32So, couldn't be happier with that. I think everyone… Again, you sense the same thing.
11:37Whatever I told you just now, holds true there as well. That people, as much as the challenges of
11:42quarantining and everything, which was tough. How mentally they are prepared and how they are
11:46focused on it has been fantastic to see Sunil bowling, batting. Andre Russell, our head coach
11:53is there. Brendan McCullum, he coaches TKR and he's going to coach KKR. So, the conversations
11:58that are going on. Our analyst, Srikanth, is there. So, it's been fantastic in that sense. Watching
12:03not only Tom Banton in that rain-affected game, but also watching Morgan play that knock.
12:12Just two days ago. I think it's just sort of… It's a great sense of satisfaction and something
12:18that we are really looking forward to. Obviously, Banton is like an emerging star. And Morgan is
12:26just an unbelievable individual, a leader and a player. And all of these conversations that
12:32have gone into our thinking when the auction happened. But the auction seems like it happened
12:36so long ago, back in December 2019. To see them following through on everything that we believe
12:42that they can come and do has been fantastic. So, fingers crossed right now. Everyone has…
12:49All the planes have landed except the CPL plane and the England-Australia plane. So, the CPL plane
12:57will land on, I think, 11th of September. That's the plan. After the finals in CPL. In Abu Dhabi,
13:03and then the England-Australia plane will land on the 17th, after their final ODI on 16th of September.
13:09So, when all of that comes in, and they go through their quarantine, and all the tests come back
13:14negative. So, I was jokingly telling someone, this emoji is something that is now a good sign.
13:20When test results are coming, when it says like this, we are very happy. So, I think we'll be very relieved
13:26when the whole squad congregates. And I think that'll happen, God willing, on 17th of September.
13:33And then it's off to the races. And be prepared. And we start our campaign.
13:40So, really looking forward to that. Couldn't be happier.
13:42You've been in charge for now more than a decade. And you transformed it for KKR. And I'm putting it on record.
13:50Tough calls. I mean, whether it's the Saurav call, whether it's plenty other calls, making it a professional outfit.
13:55You've been a champion. And tell me, how important will this one be? I mean, this is not going to be
14:00another one next year. I mean, this pandemic is not going to be the same. There will be vaccines.
14:04There will be therapies. This is, as you said, once in a century, once in a generation, once in our lifetimes,
14:09hopefully. So, if you win this one, it'll be a real special one. How important is this for you?
14:14Oh, well, you know, I mean, you have to say, winning is the ultimate goal every team starts with.
14:22But I think you start off the season, and this particular season, if there was a wish list,
14:28first thing you start saying is that the whole season should be uneventful, no incidences of any sort.
14:34And then we kind of go through it. It's all about cricket. No other fanfare around the tournament this time.
14:40And it should all happen properly. Every team starts off, I imagine, at least we do, to say that
14:45we have to earn the right to compete. And when I make that statement to the team, I said,
14:51how do we earn the right to compete? It's by, first of all, being in the top four.
14:56So, that is the first goal that you set for yourself. That by being in the top four,
15:01any one of those four can win the championship. Then, of course, you have your secondary goal
15:07of saying, it'll be ideal to be in the top two and get two shots and go into the final.
15:11And then, of course, once you go to the final, then obviously you want to bring the silverware home.
15:16But good vibes, I must say, because a lot of our boys who were there, even in 2014,
15:22they remember Abu Dhabi start, the same hotel. And one or two of them told me that it happens
15:29to be the same room as well. So, it's interesting. So, the vibes are good. I think people are…
15:35The team is in a good frame of mind. I'm very optimistic. So, I think it's going to be a very
15:42unusual season. But as I always say, IPL is one of these things where, until the first ball is
15:48bowled, there's so much noise happening around it. But once the first ball is bowled, then the focus
15:53shifts completely to cricket. And I'm looking forward to that on September 19th when the season
15:59starts. And then hopefully, we'll have a little bit of the rub of the green as well. But quite
16:05excited about it. Can't wait for it to start. It's been an absolute pleasure, as always, to have you
16:09on my show, Venky Mysore. I just hope there will be more occasions right through this season where
16:14you are on this show of mine. And we'll celebrate KKR together, celebrate you together. It's been
16:20a challenging few months to be able to put this show on for each one of us, for your fans. I'm
16:26sure you will connect with them, like you've already told me, in other forums. So, plenty in
16:30store for you. So, challenging times at the same time, exciting times. So, on my wish list, to have
16:36you more, to have your players on this show. Thank you very, very much. Thank you, Boria. It will be a pleasure.
16:41Thank you so much for your kind wishes.