Kumble's tips for corporates: Play to your strengths

Kumble has related his learnings with recently-concluded fifth edition of Indian Premier League, including how KKR won it as they played to their strengths and Delhi Daredevils muffed their chance by trying to tweak their tactic dropping Morne Morkel after being worried about playing conditions.

"I always believe that winning is a function of giving your best people the greatest opportunities, irrespective of the conditions. Very often, teams get overwhelmed by the situation and the conditions and end up tweaking their tactics to suit the conditions rather than playing to their strengths," Kumble stated in his vision document which is with the PTI.

"A good case in point was the second qualifier where the playing conditions (being slow and low) seems to have played on the mind of the franchisee (Delhi Daredevils), which chose to leave their top fast bowler from the playing XI - a move that clearly backfired."

For Kumble, there is nothing called "I" in a team.

"With no superstars in the team (KKR), and everyone irrespective of nationality and pedigree chipping in, they played as a cohesive unit all through to win the trophy. What was particularly heartening was the repeated reiteration of this unified approach by their captain in all his media interactions," Kumble observed.

Kumble also liked the manner in which KKR "shed the baggage" of having come cropper in past four editions.

"Quite often, teams that are not used to winning, get bogged down by their past track record and are unable to pull themselves together to cross the finish line. The winners this time proved that shedding past baggage and living in the present is a key ingredient for success." MORE