In a YouTube channel interview with Ravichandran Ashwin on Monday, Kolkata Knight Riders mentor Gautam Gambhir delved into the rivalry between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League.
Out of 31 IPL head-to-head encounters between the two teams since 2008, CSK emerged victorious 19 times, while KKR secured 11 victories, with one match ending in no-result. According to the 42-year-old, he believes that the strategies employed by both Chennai and Kolkata teams in approaching the game were quite similar.
“It’s not only the magnitude of the contest. When two good teams play against each other, it’s going to be an exciting and hard-fought game. I always felt that CSK and KKR were very, very similar in the way they approached the game,” Gambhir said on Ashwin’s YouTube channel.
The strategies of both teams were remarkably alike: Gautam Gambhir
“The way MS Dhoni used the spinners and we had three quality spinners as well. CSK had three quality spinners and probably the conditions, whether it was in Chepauk or in Eden at that time, were very similar. Chepauk had bigger dimensions as compared to what Eden as a ground is.”
“Our strategies were very similar to each other. That is the reason KKR had to be at our best from the tactical point of view to be able to beat CSK. That’s the reason why I always felt that CSK and KKR during those times were very very similar teams,” the former India opener added.
Gambhir returned to the KKR team as a mentor in November last year, after previously serving in the same capacity for the Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL during 2021 and 2022.
In terms of his IPL background, the left-handed batsman has competed for both KKR and the Delhi Capitals. Leading the Knight Riders to victory in 2012 and 2014, he secured two IPL championships during his tenure as captain.
KKR will play for a spot in the final as they face Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Qualifier 1 on Tuesday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
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