Gautam Gambhir has undeniably reinstated the winning mindset at KKR, who are just one victory away from securing their spot in the IPL 2024 playoffs. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are leading the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, topping the points table with 16 points from 12 matches. KKR supporters widely attribute the franchise’s remarkable performance this season to mentor and former captain Gautam Gambhir.
As a player, Gambhir guided KKR to victory in two IPL seasons, 2012 and 2014. Following his playing stint with Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals), Gambhir joined Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) as a mentor in 2022. After spending two seasons with LSG, Gambhir returned to KKR in a similar role before the current season commenced.
His influence has renewed KKR’s winning mentality, positioning them one win away from securing a spot in the IPL 2024 playoffs.
A fan became emotional while urging Gautam Gambhir not to leave KKR again
In a recent interaction, a KKR fan became emotional while expressing his feelings for Gambhir, deeply touched by the man’s presence. The fan broke down, pleading with Gambhir not to leave KKR again.
Aapni amader hriday e thaaken! 💜 pic.twitter.com/v8u801GOwN
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) May 11, 2024
“Just want to say, aap hume chodh kar aur mat jayiga (Please don’t leave us again. Hume jitne takleef hua hai aapke jaane se, hum aapko bata nahi sakte (I can’t explain how heartbroken we were after you left KKR).”
“I want to dedicate a verse from a Bengali song for you. ‘I will keep you right here, I won’t leave you’. You are our heart. We keep you close to our heart. Please don’t leave us ever, again. We don’t want to you to go. Please sir, please,” the fan was heard as saying.
Since rejoining the franchise as a mentor, Gambhir has been actively involved in the dugout, providing strategic guidance to captain Shreyas Iyer during timeouts and breaks. Gambhir’s decision to support Sunil Narine as an opener alongside World No.2 T20I batsman Phil Salt has proven to be a stroke of genius.
The pair has accumulated the majority of the team’s runs, providing an ideal foundation in the power plays to achieve six 200-plus totals out of eight matches while batting first. Narine, with 32 sixes, ranks second on the list, trailing only Abhishek Sharma (35). The remarkable frequency with which Narine consistently produces impressive scores in every match has been extraordinary.
Having secured one century and three half-centuries, Narine, the Trinidadian cricketer, has emerged as their top run-scorer, accumulating 461 runs at a strike rate of 183.66. Englishman Salt has amassed 429 runs at a strike rate of 183.33.
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