New Delhi: Gautam Gambhir stated it’s time to repay Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) after the two-time IPL-winning captain was named as the mentor of the Shah Rukh Khan-owned franchise ahead of the upcoming season. It’s a homecoming for Gambhir at KKR as the former India star returns to the franchise for the first time after 2017. Gambhir joined KKR in 2011 and led them to two titles in 2012 and 2014. It was under Gambhir, that KKR reached the finals of the Champions League T20 in 2014.
“…Going back to where there was a lot of emotions, sweat, hard work, all those memories coming back. It’s a new start and hopefully, we can deliver. KKR is very close to my heart because of the amount of love we have got from the people of Bengal, it is time to repay it,” Gambhir said on his return to KKR. Till last year, Gambhir served as a mentor to Lucknow Super Giants, guiding them to two back-to-back playoff spots.
Earlier, after joining KKR, Gambhir opined that the fire in heart is still there in him. “I am not an emotional person and not many things move me. But this is different. This is back to where it all started. Today, there is a lump in my throat and fire in my heart as I think about slipping into that purple and gold jersey once again.
#WATCH | On returning to IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Gautam Gambhir says, “…Going back to where there was a lot of emotions, sweat, hard work, all those memories coming back. It’s a new start and hopefully, we can deliver. KKR is very close to my heart because of the… pic.twitter.com/1HN7qBE3OD
— ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2023
“I am not only coming back to KKR but I am coming back to the city of joy. I am back. I am hungry. I am number 23. Ami KKR,” he had said. Meanwhile, KKR will get Shreyas Iyer boost in IPL 2024, after the skipper missed out in the last edition due to injury. KKR finished seventh in IPL 2023.
Notably, KKR have retained 13 out of 25 players from the IPL 2023 season. Seasoned campaigners Sunil Narine and Andre Russell were among the retained along with Rinku Singh, Nitish Rana. KKR have also shown faith in the young fast bowlers, Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora who impressed everyone with their skills last season.
KKR will now move into the IPL 2024 auction with a remaining purse value of 32.7 crores.
Retained Players: Shreyas Iyer (C), Andre Russell, Anukul Roy, Harshit Rana, Jason Roy, Nitish Rana, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Suyash Sharma, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy, Venkatesh Iyer
Released players: Aarya Desai, David Wiese, Johnson Charles, Kulwant Khejroliya, Litton Das, Lockie Ferguson, Mandeep Singh, N Jagadeesan, Shakib Al Hasan, Shardul Thakur, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav
