Before the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season begins, Gautam Gambhir has joined Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as a mentor. It will be exciting to see if he can help the team achieve success like he did when he was the captain.
Gautam Gambhir Warns KKR Ahead Of IPL 2024
It’s worth mentioning that Gambhir guided KKR to victory in the IPL twice, in 2012 and 2014. He spent the last few seasons mentoring Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). With less than three weeks until IPL 2024, Gambhir emphasized that the key to success in the Indian Premier League is to concentrate entirely on cricket.
The former Indian opener highlighted that the IPL matches the standards of international cricket closely and is considered the toughest league globally.
Speaking 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 party and stuff. It’s about going out there and playing competitive cricket and that’s the reason why I feel is the toughest league in the world because it is proper cricket,”
He added: “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,”
Gautam Gambhir Hailed KKR Fans As Most Loyal
Gambhir praised the passionate and loyal fans of Kolkata. He acknowledged that these fans endured many challenges, including off-field drama, in the initial three years. Gambhir emphasized that the players owe them some success as a result. He said:
“I think there are very passionate fans. We need to be honest to them. We need to try and probably bring that happiness on their smiles because I’ve always believed I think the most loyal fans have been fans from Kolkata because they’ve gone through a lot in the first three years of the IPL,”
He added: “Obviously it was the most high profile team as well. But I’ve always been a believer that ultimately it’s not about glamour. It’s about what we do on the cricket fields is all that matters and KKR should not be known for off field activities. They should be known for what we deliver on the cricket field,”
Trust @GautamGambhir to deliver on-point answers! ✔💪🏻
He believes the brand of cricket played in the #IPL is on a level comparable with international cricket!
Will his experience help #KKR win the upcoming #IPLOnStar season?
Be sure to watch IPL on Star Sports from MARCH 22 pic.twitter.com/gdYf7hXHvv
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) March 3, 2024
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The IPL 2024 season is set to kick off on March 22 with a match between CSK and RCB at Chepauk. KKR will begin their campaign against SRH at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata on March 23.
