How Gautam Gambhir's return helped Kolkata Knight Riders win IPL 2024 title

How Gautam Gambhir's return helped Kolkata Knight Riders win IPL 2024 title (PTI/File Photo)

The performance of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) had suffered following the exit of Gautam Gambhir from the team in 2017. After all, Gambhir had led the Kolkata-based outfit to not one but two IPL titles as captain – in 2012 and 2014. But Gambhir rejoined the Shah Rukh Khan’s co-owned team as a mentor prior to the last IPL edition.

And after a ten-year break, the franchise won their third championship thanks in large part to Gambhir's return. The team captained by Shreyas Iyer won the championship after defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final.

However, Gambhir's tenure at KKR was only for the 2024 campaign because, following Rahul Dravid's departure in July of last year, he was appointed head coach of India.

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KKR won their third championship title in 2024 thanks to their outstanding performance under the mentorship of Gambhir. KKR won 9 of their 14 matches in the league stage while losing just 3 with 2 games ending in no result.

Sunil Narine top scored for his team with 488 runs with Varun Chakaravarthy taking 21 scalps for finishing as the highest wicket-taker. KKR finished at the top of the table, won all of their games in the month of May, and thoroughly thrashed SRH in the final at Chepauk after defeating them in Qualifier 1 in Ahmedabad.

Four KKR batters scored more than 350 runs and five KKR bowlers took more than 17 wickets in the 2024 edition.

Pace spearhead Mitchell Starc stepped up in the playoffs, Phil Salt and Rahmanullah Gurbaz gave strong starts at the top, and Andre Russell and Narine played to their reputations of being reliable to the hilt. The uncapped pace combo of Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora, Venkatesh Iyer, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ramandeep's brief appearances, and his fielding were among the Indian players who made significant contributions. And Shreyas Iyer, of course. Despite having many doubts going into the tournament, he guided KKR to the IPL title.

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KKR became a championship-winning team thanks in large part to Gambhir's leadership. Players were given specific roles by his strategic insights and effective communication, which promoted a cohesive and self-assured team atmosphere. Gambhir, who is renowned for encouraging new talent, made sure that upcoming players had the help and direction they needed to perform well under pressure, which greatly aided the team's victory.

Gambhir's return served as a driving force behind KKR's championship victory, highlighting his long-lasting influence on the team.