Change of guard

If Gautam Gambhir, the newly appointed coach of the Indian cricket team, sets his mind to it, he could be the frontrunner to become the next Rakesh Jhunjhunwala.

- VISHAL MENON

The late Jhunjhunwala, known as the "Big Bull," had famously invested in Titan Company in 2003 when it was just a penny stock. Like most of his diverse investments, this purchase was not based on research or a tip-off. It was governed purely by instincts.

Like the billionaire investor, Gambhir, the tenacious former opener-turned-coach, also seems to be governed by instincts while picking unheralded players and turning them into match-winners.

During Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR's) emphatic title-winning march at the Indian Premier League (IPL) this season, Gambhir as the franchise mentor, hedged his bets on two players a relatively obscure allrounder named Ramandeep Singh, and Sunil Narine, the mystery spinner from the Caribbean islands considered to be past his prime.

Singh, entrusted with the role of the finisher, walloped crucial runs at the lower middle-order. Narine, known to bamboozle batters through spin and guile, would turn into a prolific opener, providing blistering starts for KKR.