Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batsman Manish Pandey has praised mentor Gautam Gambhir’s leadership attributes as they come together again for the 2024 IPL campaign.
Pandey, aged 34, experienced his most successful IPL seasons while playing for KKR from 2014 to 2017 under Gambhir’s captaincy. Subsequently, he represented SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), and Delhi Capitals.
Despite his declining performance, KKR signed Pandey for his base price of ₹50 lakh. Before IPL 2024, Pandey discussed reuniting with Gambhir and was quoted by Cricbuzz as saying:
“Gauti Bhai has done wonders for KKR. We’ve always had a leader in him when he was playing, and now coming back as a mentor is kind of the same feeling. I am really happy that he’s there and that he’s going to be taking a lot of important calls for the team and he has done really well here as well.”
“Happy to reunite with him, and the kind of josh [excitement] the boys are in with him and the way he speaks.. it felt like home again, felt like a lot of memories coming back. It’ll be great that with everybody coming in, it’ll be lovely to have the trophy here by the end of IPL,” he added.
During his last season with KKR in 2017, Pandey had one of his most productive performances with the bat, tallying 396 runs at an average close to 50 in 14 matches.
Meanwhile, Gambhir served as a mentor for LSG in 2022 and 2023 before transitioning to KKR to assume a similar role in the forthcoming season.
“Returning to KKR feels wonderful, it’s like coming home”- Manish Pandey
Manish Pandey expressed joy upon his return to the KKR squad after six years for the 2024 IPL season. The 34-year-old played a pivotal role in the franchise’s second title win in 2014, delivering a stunning 94 runs off 50 balls in the final match.
“Coming back after six years… 2017 was the last time we played. Coming back to KKR feels really good, feels like home. Spent four years here so KKR as a franchise has given me a lot in terms of my career, and in return what we have given to KKR is also our utmost effort and a trophy.”
“Obviously, it feels very good coming back home, and with Gauti bhai as mentor coming back is also very special because we have a great history before, we’ve won the IPL before. So it feels good,” said Pandey
Following their appearance in the final in 2021, KKR faced difficulties in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, failing to reach the playoffs both times. The Knight Riders will kick off their IPL 2024 journey against SRH at the iconic Eden Gardens on March 23rd.
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