'The situation in Kolkata is one I'm used to'
Ganguly's wealth of knowledge, Akram's game-reading skills and Shah Rukh Khan's passion are the factors Kolkata's new coach will bank on to turn the side around

"The immediate objective with Kolkata is for the team to start performing" • Nagraj Gollapudi/ESPNcricinfo Ltd
It's a combination of factors. It's a challenge to be successful in a brand-new format that has been around at the international level for only a couple of years. Besides, the IPL is a competition that is popular all over the world, and you are working with world-class players. That's one obvious lure. The other one is to get back into a hands-on coaching role, which I feel very comfortable in. This one is so different to all the other jobs that I've had and represents just the right challenge for me at this stage of my career.
The IPL is obviously going to be different because the competition is not in terms of bilateral series. When you are with an international team, you are with a specific set of players almost through the year and the preparation is different. But in IPL, it will be a real test of gelling the group together.
Look, the format of this game is totally different to a Test match or a one-day game, but there are certain principles in terms of preparation that is consistent. The players are the ones that play the game and what a coach needs to do in any format is get the players ready and prepared to give their best performance in every game. It helps, I guess, if you have a greater understanding of the Twenty20 game in terms of some experience, but then, not many people have that because it is a brand-new format. Then again, it's the players who have to play the game, not the coach. So we can do all we can to build up, prepare them for their best performance on the day.
Yes, my NCA experience could come into play in two ways. One, the franchise is keen to build a positive name and be of service to the local community in the form of an academy at some stage. Again, having been with the NCA over the last two years is a hell of an advantage in spotting new domestic talent. We have had most of those boys coming through the NCA over the last two years. Having some knowledge of who can deliver now and who may struggle and take a little longer to be part of a successful IPL team in the near future is a huge help.
In a sense, the situation in Kolkata represents one that I am quite used to - you are coming in with a team that has been underperforming and you turn them around. For me, it's basically an opportunity to turn around a team that has been underperforming. There are some good players there and I know they have lost some close games, which could have made the difference. But then, I feel there's a bit more to that. I mean one run or one wicket can change a lot of things but if it happens often, there are more reasons behind it. Quite simply, we need to get in better performances.
"Having got your best domestic Indian players, you have to build a bridge between them and the foreign players who will possibly arrive a couple of weeks before the tournament. Then you have to ensure that your foreign players are in a good frame of mind during the tournament because you can only play four of them"
Firstly, there is a real genuineness about Shah Rukh Khan and Jay Mehta [the businessman who co-owns the team] about wanting the performance of their franchise to get better. They really do enjoy the game and their team winning and they have a genuine interest and keenness in wanting it to work and turn it around. Sadly, the fact is that in the first two years they haven't enjoyed the success they would have hoped for. They have entrusted me to lend more than a helping hand to turning the team's fortunes around.
There's also Vijay Dahiya [former India wicketkeeper and Delhi coach] as assistant coach, Andrew Leipus the physiotherapist and Adrian Le Roux the fitness specialist. There will be the need to work with a number of local support staff from time to time, which I look forward to because you are helping increase the knowledge level there. I haven't worked with them before but I am very much looking forward to do that.
Look, I have known Sourav for a long time without actually having ever worked with him. For instance, he played one game for India A, which I was in charge of, before the Australia series last year and it was terrific to have him there. I am pretty confident that my experience in the region will allow me to develop a decent relationship with him. I have a fair idea and a fair understanding of the importance of Sourav in Kolkata and it's about getting the best out of him as it is with everyone else.
Firstly, I think there is a requirement to get the best local talent you can possibly get. That's a big part of it. Having got your best domestic Indian players, you have to build a bridge between them and the foreign players, who will possibly arrive a couple of weeks before the tournament. Then you have to ensure that your foreign players are in a good frame of mind during the tournament because you can only play four of them.
It has to. To be honest, I think that skill will be put more to the test because of the variety of people putting the same cap on. You've got a mix of all these players under one roof, so things can easily be misunderstood. Before you know it, you could have an issue on your hands - that is, if you allow little things to escalate. You've got to be a bit mindful and wary of that and at the same time ensure that everyone is feeling positive towards the group.
I don't like the word "weaknesses" but yes, there are areas that we can strengthen.
Well, that's one area that we have to patch up.
Look, I am never one to look back, and all I can tell you are the facts: in IPL 1 they finished sixth, and in IPL 2 they were eighth. That's as far as I will go. I don't want to look over my shoulder; I want to look forward. At the same time I have an understanding privately of what I think should be done to make the improvements to get the performance. I am more interested in what's to be done for the future.
Again, my opinion on what has happened is not for public consumption and is only for the few people that matter in the franchise.
No.
I have been around for about 14 years and I have never felt the wrath of a crowd. Most of the time people have loved me, so I don't expect that to change. People know that if you put in a real, genuine effort, that's all what matters. But yes, I am aware that people of the region are very passionate and fanatical about their cricket. It was the same with Bangladesh when I was coach there. In my experience people are not dumb; they understand what's happening; they know that there may be the occasional heartbreak, but there's a bigger picture to all this.
Sometimes I think it's good to have a goal like that, but other times I feel you don't want to limit yourself too much either. But as you saw, in IPL 2 the two teams that finished last and second-last respectively in the first edition ended up being the finalists. So perhaps, hope is the right word to use now. But I would like to know that hope will become a different word as we go along. That can happen.
Ajay Shankar is a deputy editor at Cricinfo