Kolkata Knight Riders mentor Gautam Gambhir dished out a stern warning for his team ahead of a new season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), commencing on March 2. Gambhir, who led the Kolkata-based franchise to secure two titles during his playing days, feels the tournament is not about glamour or any sort of flashy things. Rather, it serves as a platform for emerging players to demonstrate their talent and quality. Thus, Gambhir wants all members of the KKR unit to take the competition seriously and make a strong statement in the upcoming edition. He was appointed as the mentor of the team last year after spending two seasons with Lucknow Super Giants.
Upon his homecoming, Gautam Gambhir has looked desperate to replicate the success that he previously tasted as the captain of Kolkata Knight Riders back in 2012 and 2014. According to him, the IPL is the toughest franchise tournament in the world and every new-generation player should keep it in their minds.
During a recent interaction on Star Sports, Gambhir said, “I made it very clear on Day 1 that IPL for me, is serious cricket. It’s not about Bollywood, it’s not about you, it’s not about after parties and stuff. It’s about going out there and playing competitive cricket and that’s the reason why I feel it is the toughest league in the world because it is proper cricket.”
The former cricketer further spoke about the importance of the IPL in the global circuit. “It is probably closest to international cricket as compared to any other league and if you want to be known as a successful franchise, you should be able to deliver on the cricket field,” Gambhir explained.
The 42-year-old reckons Kolkata Knight Riders have one of the most loyal and honest fanbases, who have supported the team in tough times as well. The franchise failed to match the expectations in the previous two seasons. Following a string of poor performances in the group stage, KKR could not reach the playoffs and finished seventh in the league standings on both occasions.
While labelling KKR as the “most high-profile team” of the IPL, Gambhir said, “I’ve always been a believer that ultimately it’s not about glamour. It’s about what we do on the cricket field that is all that matters and KKR should not be known for off-field activities.”
Gambir was present at the 2024 IPL auction in December last year when KKR acquired a record-breaking deal by signing Australia pacer Mitchell Stac for Rs 24.75 crore.
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