Sanjay Bangar - Kings XI's 'Dark Knight'

He's not our hero. He's a silent guardian. A watchful protector. A Dark Knight.

- James Gordon's character in Chris Nolan's classic movie, the Dark Knight.

Prior to 2014, Kings XI Punjab had made the final four of the IPL only once and that too way back during the inaugural edition of the tournament. Adam Gilchrist, a former IPL champion, who nearly led Punjab to the play-offs in 2013, hung up his boots at the end of the season. Another influential Aussie, coach Darren Lehmann also stepped aside in pursuit of coaching Australia. He orchestrated a remarkable turnaround for the Aussies, leading them to the summit in Tests.

The Punjab management was looking for a turnaround of sorts. Enter Sanjay Bangar. And what a turnaround it turned out to be. Assiduous, astute and studious, one would mistake Bangar for a scientist. Whilst the cameras often panned out to Preity Zinta dancing in rapture, Bangar was seen taking notes at the background.

The only Indian head coach pitted against the likes of Stephen Fleming (Chennai Super Kings), Trevor Bayliss (Kolkata Knight Riders), John Wright (Mumbai Indians), Gary Kirsten (Delhi Daredevils), Daniel Vettori (Royal Challengers Bangalore), Tom Moody (Sunrisers Hyderabad) and Paddy Upton (Rajasthan Royals), the low-key Bangar (who had only an India-A coaching experience on his CV) held his own, lifting Kings XI to their maiden IPL final. Though they faltered at the final hurdle, Kings XI Punjab were, arguably, the team of the season.

Bangar began on a positive note in the auctions, investing in smart buys. He also took some brave gambles that paid rich dividends. While the retention of David Miller was on the line, that of Manan Vohra was a bolt from the blue. The young opener, albeit making a belated entry (after being benched for 9 games in a row), lent fillip at the top of the order. In his first game of the season against Sunrisers, Vohra set the tone for Kings XI overhauling 205 with a free-flowing 47. He then packed a punch with centurion, Wriddhiman Saha to almost take Kings XI to the title win in the grandstand final. Almost.

Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Johnson were roped in to provide the X-factor. More importantly, the former Railways all-rounder gave them full freedom to express themselves. The cheerful and cherubic George Bailey, who approaches cricket the same way a kid navigates his new, dinky car around the table, prove the ideal foil for Bangar. The Tasmanian may give you an impression of a devil-may-care captain but is quite strong on the tactical front. An important indicator to a good coach is his rapport with the skipper. Both the B's were on the same page and built a potent team.

While Maxwell and Miller were the cynosure of all eyes with their blistering hitting, the Indian contingent delivered as well. In his own unobtrusive style, the 41-year old tapped the Indian talent, bringing the best out of them.

Spin was supposed to be Kings XI's weak link but Akshar Patel and Karanveer Singh punched above their weight to ensure that all bases were covered. Featuring in every single match that Kings XI played, Akshar collected 17 wickets at a mean and miserly economy rate of 6.14. His accuracy was rewarded with a place in the Indian squad for the Bangladesh tour. When the more illustrious Morne Morkel and Sunil Narine were thumped in the final, the unheralded duo of Akshar and Karanveer stood out.

If Akshar relies on flat darters, Karanveer loops the ball up, luring the opposition into catching the bait. His courage to give the ball ample air in spite of going for some runs grabbed eyeballs.

Virender Sehwag's inclusion to the roster was viewed as a poison pill. Even a die-hard fan of Sehwag wouldn't have put his money on the out-of-favour Indian opener. He had endured a tepid first-class season and although he made substantial contributions in the Mushtaq Ali T20 trophy, he lacked the aura of old.

However, Bangar chose to see him as an energizer. Sehwag failed to kick on in the league phase alright, but came to the party in the swim-or-sink Qualifier 2 clash. Sehwag wound the clock back to his halcyon days, clouting the CSK bowlers with disdain. His second ton in the Indian T20 League sunk Chennai and powered Punjab to the final. Bangar deserves a big slice of credit for persisting with Sehwag despite the latter's lacklustre run in the early stages of the tourney.

Commenting after his ballistic knock, Sehwag credited Bangar saying, "Our coach Sanjay Bangar has done a fantastic job, motivating everyone from the youngsters to seniors. He's been working really well with each player."

Bangar was spot on when it came to team selection and strategizing as well. He insisted Bailey to play two spinners on the Chinnaswamy pitch in their third game of the Indian leg of the tournament, Bailey's tentativeness notwithstanding, Shivam Sharma and Akshar, operating in tandem, twisted the RCB batsmen into knots, protecting 198 on a chaseable venue with ease.

Bangar even admitted the team's flaws during defeat. He put his hand up and admitted that his batsmen got flustered by the rain during the run-chase against the eventual champions - Kolkata Knight Riders - in the Qualifier-1. Remember, without commitment there is no accountability.

It is not easy to coach an IPL side, comprising players from all tiers - Indian, domestic and foreign. Bangar's vast domestic experience coupled with his brief international stint, highlighted by his fifty at Headingley, may have assisted him in egging on Kings XI to fire as a unit. Oh wait, what really cracked the code for Kings XI was their coach's simplicity and calmness.

"Everything you see and like about Kings XI starts with Sanjay Bangar," gushed Bailey of his coach. "His ability to draw younger players out of their shells has been phenomenal and has been fantastic in managing the overseas players," Bailey added.

The bottom line is that Bangar handled the job with minimal fuss, producing maximum results. Sanjay Bangar is no hero though, who seeks hosannas. He is a silent guardian. A watchful protector. A Dark Knight.

Indian coaches aren't bad after all, right?