"Bengal Will Be Divided For 2nd Time After Partition": Gautam Gambhir Recalls Facing Sourav Ganguly At Eden

Former India opener Gautam Gambhir, who is currently leading Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as a mentor in the ongoing current Indian Premier League season, recently revealed heartfelt recollections of his time spent with the team and recalled a special occasion where the steadfast support he received from the Kolkata fans while facing Bengal's son Sourav Ganguly, who was leading Pune Warriors.

In a conversation with Ravichandran Ashwin on his YouTube channel, the former World Cup winner took a trip down memory lane as KKR's winning season continued, thinking back on his 2011 arrival at the team and his journey from a cricket player from Delhi to a beloved figure in Kolkata.

Between the highs and lows, Gambhir described a crucial match at Eden Gardens against Pune Warriors. During the game, the stadium was a picture of conflicting allegiances, with KKR's distinctive purple and Pune's light blue. Ganguly a Kolkata native was leading Pune, and Gambhir was leading KKR.

"A lot of people told me there will be a lot of backlashes because you are replacing someone like Sourav Ganguly. I still remember my first day in Kolkata the amount of love I received was unimaginable. Never thought that I would receive that kind of love because a lot of things were spoken about when Sourav was replaced. But not even once in my seven years of captaincy I was not made to feel that I did not belong to Kolkata and that's my relationship with the people," Gambhir told Ashwin on his YouTube channel.

Amidst the pressure of media attention and high expectations, Gambhir revealed a heartfelt story from the pre-match build-up.

"I have said it not because I was captaining them I have said it from my heart that Kolkata is my home and that's the emotion I