Gautam Gambhir, the recently hired coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), says the Indian Premier tournament is the world’s hardest cricket tournament. The IPL’s two-time champion skipper even likened it to international cricket.
Gambhir’s reply came only a day after he resigned from his political positions ahead of the 2018 IPL season. On Sunday (March 3), the former athlete informed Star Sports:
“I made it very clear on Day 1 that IPL is serious cricket. It’s not about Bollywood, glamour, after party and stuff.
“It’s about going out there and playing competitive cricket and that’s the reason why IPL is the toughest league in the world because it’s proper cricket.
Gautam Gambhir
He continued:
“It’s, for me, closest to international cricket as compared to any other leagues, and if you want to be known as a successful franchise, you should be able to deliver on the field.”
Gautam Gambhir
Gambhir’s decision to quit down as East Delhi MP comes weeks before the 2024 general elections. The former cricketer seemed eager to return KKR to winning ways after they failed to qualify for the knockout rounds in the previous two seasons.
“KKR shouldn’t be known for off-field activities” – Gautam Gambhir ahead of IPL 2024
Gautam Gambhir also extended appreciation to the KKR supporters for their continued support. He also asked the Shreyas Iyer-led team to play a serious brand of cricket ahead of the IPL 2024:
“Obviously, it was the most high-profile team as well, but I have always been a believer that ultimately, it’s not about drama, it’s about what we do on the cricket field is all that matters, and KKR shouldn’t be known for off-field activities. They should be known for what we deliver on the cricket field.”
Gautam Gambhir
Gambhir added:
“I think we’ve very passionate fans, we need to be honest to them, try and probably bring to them happiness on (or) the smiles.
“I have always believed that 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.”
Gautam Gambhir
KKR have yet to win a trophy since Gambhir guided them to the IPL triumph in 2014. Under his guidance, the franchise won the IPL trophy in both 2012 and 2014. On March 23, the Kolkata-based franchise will face Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens in the IPL 2024 season opener.