Former Kolkata Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir has opened up about his relationship with his former IPL teammate Sunil Narine.

Narine had made his IPL debut under Gambhir’s captaincy back in 2012 and the duo had played a key role in leading KKR to their first IPL title that year. In 2014, they teamed up again to lead KKR to the title. The Kolkata-based team failed to win a title until Gambhir joined the franchise again this year as a mentor.

Gambhir’s decision to back Narine as an opener proved to be a masterstroke as the latter starred with both bat and ball to help KKR to their third title and first since 2014. After the end of the final , a video of Narine and Gambhir celebrating the victory was released had gone viral on social media.

Although both players do not like to show emotions on the field, they decided to surprise the fans with their emotional celebration. Narine lifted Gambhir before the latter also lifted the former, as the two shared a special moment to celebrate the victory.

Gautam Gambhir on his bond with Sunil Narine:

With the tournament over, Gautam Gambhir has opened up about his strong bond with Sunil Narine. Speaking to Sportskeeda, the former India opener recalled Narine’s first season in the IPL and revealed that the star was very shy.

“Narine and I are similar characters, so are our emotions. I still remember that when Narine first entered the IPL in 2012, it was in Jaipur, we were going to practice and I told him to come for lunch. He was so shy that he didn’t say a single word over lunch, and the first question he finally asked was, ‘Can I bring my girlfriend to the IPL?’ Gambhir said.

“He was very quiet that first season, but now we can talk about anything. He’s like a brother to me. I don’t see him as a friend, I don’t see him as a teammate, I see him as a brother, if I need him or him he needs me, I think we are just a call away, that’s the kind of relationship we have built. We don’t get too emotional, we don’t show too much emotion, we are not extravagant, we just do the job and come back,” Gambhir added.

Narine played a key role in KKR’s triumphant IPL 2024 campaign. He made a huge impact with both bat and ball and was named the Most Valuable Player. The former West Indies star smashed close to 500 runs, including a century, besides picking up 17 wickets.