Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) co-owner Shah Rukh Khan has revealed the “saddest moment” in his team’s Indian Premier League (IPL) history. Shah Rukh Khan highlighted how Gautam Gambhir’s return as a mentor during the IPL 2024 season helped the Kolkata Knight Riders overcome this challenging phase.
Gautam Gambhir led the Kolkata Knight Riders to two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014 as captain. The former Indian opener returned to the franchise as a mentor for the IPL 2024 season after KKR finished seventh in the previous two seasons. Gambhir served as a mentor for the Lucknow Super Giants in 2022 and 2023.
In the IPL 2024 season, Kolkata secured the top spot in the league stage with nine wins in 14 matches. The Shreyas Iyer-led team continued its dominance and became the first team to reach the final match. Knight Riders defeated SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Qualifier 1 in Ahmedabad on May 21.
Kolkata Knight Riders will take on Pat Cummins’ SunRisers Hyderabad at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday, May 26. KKR has a chance to replicate their past success at Chepauk, where they clinched their first IPL title in 2012 by defeating Chennai. Super Kings (CSK).
Never be a loser and never lose hope – Shah Rukh Khan
Shah Rukh Khan recalled the time when someone commented that the team’s uniform was better than the way they played, which hurt deeply. However, Shah Rukh highlighted the resilience shown by the team, particularly after the return of Gautam Gambhir as a mentor.
“We had the best team in the world and we kept losing again and again. I still remember what was the saddest moment, kisi ne mujhe aise ball ‘inka costume hi achha hai, inka game toh achhai hai hi nahi’ (someday he told me ‘ only his playing team is good, not his game’),” Shah Rukh said.
“I remember an expert talking about this. It used to hurt. Coming back to GG (Gautam Gambhir) and doing this was extraordinary. He taught us how to lose, but never be losers and never lose hope. Sports teaches you that.” he added.
Gautam Gambhir has immense knowledge about the game – Shreyas Iyer
Speaking to reporters before the final match, Shreyas Iyer highlighted how Gautam Gambhir’s strategies have been instrumental in KKR’s success. Iyer expressed hope that they would maintain their momentum in the final.
“I feel he (Gambhir) has immense knowledge about how the game has been played, he has won two titles with KKR and his strategies have been spot on in terms of the execution we have to do. He adds a lot of cream to the team. “Hopefully Let’s continue with the same momentum in the final and make their knowledge available,” Iyer said.
Shreyas Iyer scored 345 runs in 13 matches at an average of 38.33 and a strike rate of 146.19, with a best score of 58 runs against SunRisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 1. It is worth mentioning that the 29-year-old He returned as captain of KKR for IPL 2024 after missing the last season due to injury.
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