Watch: Gautam Gambhir's Act From KKR Bench Triggers Plethora Of Questions

07.05.2024 - 03:13 sports.ndtv.com

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) put one foot into the IPL 2024 playoffs after beating Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to go top of the points table on Sunday.

KKR now have 16 points from 11 games and only need a win from their remaining league matches to qualify for the playoffs. The two-time champions, who finished in the bottom half of the points table last season, have looked like a different team this season under captain Shreyas Iyer.

However, a lot of that credit should go to former captain and mentor Gautam Gambhir, who returned to the franchise after spending two seasons in the dugout at LSG.

Gambhir has provided tactical assistance to both head coach Chandrakant Pandit and under-pressure captain Iyer, who recently lost his BCCI central contract.

cricket Lucknow Super Giants Kolkata Knight Riders Phil Salt Nicholas Pooran Gautam Gambhir Shreyas Iyer Sunil Narine

As the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squad for the T20 World Cup 2024, Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson found a spot each, thanks to their exemplary performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. While both are in the 15-man roster for the global event, only one of them will make the cut for the playing XI for the sole spot behind the stumps. When Gautam Gambhir, current Kolkata Knight Riders mentor, was asked about his preference, he had a clear take.

Gautam Gambhir Reveals 'Regret' As Kolkata Knight Riders Captain, Says "Never Managed To Use..."

Former Indian cricket team batter Gautam Gambhir was the most successful captain in the history of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League. During his tenure as skipper from 2011 to 2017, KKR won the IPL title twice in 2012 and 2014 with a number of big talents finding a chance to make it big as a part of the team. However, one player who went to become a huge name after leaving KKR was Suryakumar Yadav. He was part of the KKR team from 2014 to 2017 but it was only when he joined Mumbai Indians that he truly found his form. He is currently the top-ranked T20I batter in the world with brilliant performances for both MI and India.

Gautam Gambhir Responds After KKR Fan Girl's Viral Plea: "Will Not Propose..."

Gautam Gambhir must be a happy man. After he took over Kolkata Knight Riders as a mentor, the team has assured itself a top-two finish in the IPL 2024 points table. It will get two chances to qualify for the final. Under Gautam Gambhir, who had earlier guided KKR to an IPL win when he was the captain, the side has looked aggressive and much better than the rest. Only RR, so far, can come close to the balance and consistency shown by the side.

Kevin Pietersen's Stunning Reply As Gautam Gambhir Calls Him "Worse Than Any Leader"

Kevin Pietersen, one of the finest players to have played for England, isn't someone who gets many points as a leader by former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir. In a scathing analysis of Pietersen's captaincy credentials, Gambhir called him 'worse than any other leader' , while also putting the same stamp on former South Africa star AB de Villiers. As Gambhir's comments took social media by storm, even Pietersen came across the verdict from the Kolkata Knight Riders mentor. To the surprise of many, the retired England batter took the comment rather sportingly.

Gambhir backs Pant as India's first-choice wicketkeeper at World Cup

Rishabh Pant's middle-order experience can help him edge out Sanju Samson and become India's preferred wicketkeeper-batsman at the Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies and United States next month, former India batsman Gautam Gambhir said.

"Don't Think He Has Achieved Anything In IPL": Gautam Gambhir Blasts RCB Great

Indian cricket team all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been facing a lot of criticism due to his performance as Mumbai Indians skipper in the ongoing IPL 2024. The decision taken by the MI management to appoint him as the captain in place of Rohit Sharma was not received well by a section of the fanbase and things got worse as MI won just 4 out of their 13 matches in the competition. Hardik's captaincy came under the scanner with former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen and former South Africa and Royal Challengers Bengaluru star AB De Villiers also weighing in on the conversation.