After enjoying two fruitful seasons with the Lucknow Super Giants, Gautam Gambhir finally made his much-anticipated comeback to the Kolkata Knight Riders for the IPL 2024 season.
Under Gambhir’s guidance, KKR clinched the championship titles in both 2012 and 2014 before he parted ways with the franchise in 2017 to join Delhi Capitals. Following his retirement, Gambhir transitioned into coaching, playing a pivotal role in steering LSG to the playoffs in both 2022 and 2023.
In contrast, after their finals appearance in 2021, KKR stumbled, failing to secure playoff berths in two consecutive seasons. To shake things up, KKR co-owner and Bollywood luminary Shah Rukh Khan opted to re-enlist Gambhir, who had previously led the team to remarkable success.
Reports suggest that Shah Rukh Khan offered a blank cheque to Gambhir, although it remains undisclosed whether Gambhir accepted the blank cheque. Nonetheless, the 42-year-old made his return to KKR, emphasizing in his inaugural address that the team is poised to once again vie for the championship title.
Gambhir, who served as the mentor for Lucknow Super Giants in the past two seasons, is now making a move before IPL 2024. KKR’s lack of playoff qualification in the last two seasons prompted co-owner Shah Rukh Khan to enlist Gambhir’s expertise to revitalize the team’s strategies.
The former captain of KKR emphasized that every member of the team would be treated fairly, with no distinction between senior and junior players.
“One thing I absolutely believe in is giving all the freedom to the players. That is something very, very important. People who have played with me know one thing about me that everyone in this group will be treated equally. There is no senior or junior, there is no domestic or international because we have got one mission, and that is to win this IPL. So everyone needs to follow that one simple path,” Gambhir said in a video released by KKR.
Gambhir stands out as the top captain in KKR’s history, steering the team to two IPL victories in 2012 and 2014. Taking charge from Sourav Ganguly in 2011, the former Indian player led KKR for seven years, clinching the coveted title twice during his tenure with the franchise.
It’s worth mentioning that KKR’s journey in the upcoming IPL season kicks off on March 23, facing off against Pat Cummins’ Sunrisers Hyderabad at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
