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KKR winning the IPL 2024 season means a lot to its system. From its players, team owners/ promoters, captain, stakeholders to management – everyone gained from its third IPL win. But the one who got the best out of this win is KKR mentor Gambhir.
At a time when the former Delhi swashbuckling opener is being talked about to be the next coach of Team India in white-ball cricket or perhaps in all formats of the game, this IPL win gives plenty of brownie points for Gambhir.
Not to forget that he decided to quit politics to cater to his cricket calling – Gambhir has got into a position of strength to bargain more powers from the BCCI if and when he becomes the coach. Just imagine a star like Virat Kohli, who refused to see eye to eye with Gambhir, calling him ‘Gauti Bhai’ days before his name floated as the new Indian coach.
Some believe Gambhir’s entry into the Indian team will be a disaster. However, they should also know how the former KKR captain gelled with someone like Chandrakant Pandit, the domestic Hitler. Not so known outside KKR and the Mumbai cricket circuit, Abhishek Nayar had to toe Gambhir’s dictum. He is the new ‘gunda’ of Indian cricket, and for him, the policy is simple – my way or highway.
The strength of Gambhir this season is his temperament. He has managed to keep his emotional extremes under tremendous control. Some of his critics were pleasantly surprised with the way Gambhir carried himself inside the KKR camp this season.
Gambhir means business, and he doesn’t mind hiding his motto. That is to win the game when his team takes the field. There is no shortcut to success. You have to be ultra-aggressive, and the very nature of Gambhir’s Karol Bagh upbringing of not giving up without a fight and size doesn’t matter to win a battle has rubbed on to his team very effectively.
Otherwise, what is the point of having a coach or mentor at the highest level? The motivation isn’t about making more money. For Gambhir, the motivation is to win and only win. This infectious nature of Gambhir has rubbed onto the KKR team so well, and it will be tough for Shah Rukh Khan and Co. to let him go. But whenever Gambhir is free again, this win will ensure that the doors at the KKR are open for him forever!
