It's not Bollywood: Gautam Gambhir serious message to KKR ahead of IPL 2024

During his tenure as KKR captain, Gautam Gambhir won two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) mentor Gautam Gambhir has serious advice for his players ahead of the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Gambhir, who led KKR to two titles during his tenure as a captain, said that the IPL is not about Bollywood or after parties; it’s an opportunity for players to prove and express themselves in one of the toughest cricket leagues in the world.

2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup-winning player Gambhir recently announced his decision to step away from politics ahead of the 2024 general elections in India.

The former Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) member revealed his decision to step away from his political career because he wants to focus on his cricket commitments, mainly the upcoming IPL 2024. He shared this news on his ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) handle.

I have requested Hon’ble Party President @JPNadda ji to relieve me of my political duties so that I can focus on my upcoming cricket commitments. I sincerely thank Hon’ble PM @narendramodi ji and Hon’ble HM @AmitShah ji for giving me the opportunity to serve the people. Jai Hind!

— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) March 2, 2024

Gautam Gambhir’s message to KKR players ahead of IPL 2024

Ahead of the IPL 2024, KKR announced the signing of their former captain Gautam Gambhir as the mentor for the season. The Kolkata-based franchise won their last IPL title way back in 2014 under Gambhir’s leadership. However, the former Indian opener left Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) after spending two years with them as a mentor for a homecoming to Kolkata. 

At the IPL 2024 mini-auction, Gambhir was also present with other members of KKR, where the franchise bought Australian star pacer Mitchell Starc for a record-breaking amount of INR 24.75 crores. 

The former KKR skipper Gambhir also pointed out the significance of the IPL on the world stage. He added that it’s an opportunity for players to showcase their skills and talent in the toughest cricket league.

“I made it very clear on Day 1 that IPL for me, a serious cricket. It’s not about Bollywood, it’s not about you, it’s not about after party and stuff. It’s about going out there and playing competitive cricket and that’s the reason why I feel is the toughest league in the world because it is proper cricket,”Gambhir said on Star Sports.

“It is probably closest to international cricket as compared to any other league and if you want to be known as a successful franchise, you should be able to deliver on the cricket field,” he added.

Furthermore, former Indian cricketer Gambhir heaped praise on the loyal fanbase of KKR, which has backed the franchise during tough IPL seasons.

“I think there are very passionate fans. We need to be honest to them. We need to try and probably bring that happiness on their smiles because I’ve always believed I think the most loyal fans have been fans from Kolkata because they’ve gone through a lot in the first three years of the IPL,” Gambhir said.

Chalo shuru karte hai! 🗓 pic.twitter.com/i2l0M9dP8x

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) February 22, 2024

Kolkata Knight Riders will start their IPL 2024 campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on March 23. In the first phase of the prestigious league, KKR will play a total of three matches: two away games and one home match. 

Kolkata Knight Riders squad for IPL 2024

Shreyas Iyer (c), Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Jason Roy, Sunil Narine, Suyash Sharma, Anukul Roy, Andre Russell, Venkatesh Iyer, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy, KS Bharat, Chetan Sakariya, Mitchell Starc, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ramandeep Singh, Sherfane Rutherford, Manish Pandey, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Dushmantha Chameera, Sakib Hussain.

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