Indian national cricket team veteran Ravichandran Ashwin has identified current Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) mentor Gautam Gambhir as the arch-nemesis of MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
CSK is the joint most successful team in the history of the competition, having won 5 IPL trophies, while KKR managed to win 2 championships, both under the leadership of Gautam Gambhir. The two teams have met 31 times: the Yellow Army won 19 games and the Knight Riders won 11, with one match ending in a no contest.
In 2012, Gautam Gambhir & Co. defeated the MS Dhoni-led team in the final to clinch their first IPL title and then repeated the feat in 2014 by defeating the Punjab Kings (then Kings XI Punjab) in the summit clash.
Since then, KKR are seeking their third title in the cash-rich league and with Gambhir’s return to the organization they would look to end their trophy drought. Ahead of IPL 2024, the Kolkata-based franchise roped in their former captain Gambhir as a mentor. Before moving to KKR, the former India opener served as a mentor for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in IPL 2022 and 2023.
Meanwhile, veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin in his recent YouTube video spoke about Gautam Gambhir’s competitive attitude and praised him. He further said that Mumbai Indians have been the enemy of Chennai Super Kings over the years and their rivalry has received all the attention, but “another thorn in the flesh” for MS Dhoni & Co. has been Gautam Gambhir, who has always challenged them. .
“For CSK, Mumbai Indians have been an enemy over the years. They have had 5-5 identical titles. In fact, Mumbai Indians won their first title only in 2013. In the last 10 years, they have won five titles, one every alternate year. Another thorn in CSK’s side was Gautam Gambhir’s KKR,” he stated.
“He has posed a big threat to them, especially in 2012 when Chennai were going for a treble. He played them for CSK; They had us in the final in Chennai. Since then, Gautam Gambhir has also been a big enemy for CSK,” Ashwin added.
If you are a fan of a particular team, you might be offended: Ravichandran Ashwin’s colossal comment on Gautam Gambhir’s attitude
While talking about Gautam Gambhir’s attitude, Ravichandran Ashwin said that fans of some IPL franchises may take offence, but he loves it. He said:
“He (Gambhir) is a person who has energy and does not hold back. I like that attitude on him. If you are a fan of a particular team, you may be offended. But if we look at it from the outside, the calm attitude is something I love.”
Ashwin also believes that the year 2024 would be a good opportunity for KKR to win the IPL Cup with the return of Gambhir, who seems to be in a happy space with the franchise.
“Gautam Gambhir left LSG and joined KKR. He has been an integral part of the leadership. He was the first to turn around the franchise’s fortunes and won two titles as captain. They are looking for his third title and this seems like the perfect time. They brought him over from LSG because they seem to have a great connection with him. In fact, Gautam also seems to be a happy place in KKR,” he added.
Under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will take on Pat Cummins-led Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their inaugural clash at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on March 23.