Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 edition, Gautam Gambhir returned to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) but this time as a mentor. He was associated with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) as a mentor for the last couple of seasons.
Notably, Gambhir led KKR to two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014. It will be interesting to see if he can produce similar results for the franchise as a mentor as he did in the capacity of a captain.
Under his guidance, KKR have won four of their six matches so far. They are holding the third spot in the 10-team points table.
Meanwhile, Gambhir has mentioned that the team's key focus this season is to embrace courage.
"I'm a strong believer that it's not the most talented team that goes on to win big tournaments. It's the most courageous team that's willing to fight till the last drop of blood, will go on to win the IPL. The mantra for the season is we need to be courageous," Gambhir said in KKR Knights Dugout Podcast.
"We should have the courage to be positive all the time. and if you walk that path, I'm very, very bullish about the kind of talent in our dressing room. If we fight, if we are courageous and fight for everyone in the dressing room, fight for every fan who has stuck with us, if we do that I think we will be in a good position," he added.
Gambhir also recalled the unwavering support he received from KKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan during his lean patch in 2014.
Shah Rukh’s words "You won't be dropping yourself as long as you're here" served him as a motivation to do well and win the title 10 years ago.
"I couldn't score one run in four games. I've said it a numerous number of times I think he is the best owner I've worked with. It's not because I'm now part of KKR or I was part of KKR. I don't think so in seven years of me captaining KKR we have had a cricketing conversation even for seven minutes, except that patch that I was going through,” Gambhir remarked.
"That time also we had the conversation because I was on the verge of dropping myself. The only thing he told me was till you're here, you are not going to drop yourself.
"Imagine someone, as an owner who himself has been such a big achiever, not even talking about cricket or asking you a single thing about your decision making. I'm not saying I took all the right decisions. But he never questioned my decisions that's the trust he had in me," he concluded.
(With PTI Inputs)
