With the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) reaching IPL 2024 final after beating the SunRisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 1 on Tuesday, the speech of their mentor Gautam Gambhir before the tournament started has resurfaced. Gambhir's assurance that the Knight Riders will be one of the teams on May 26th is the most striking feature of the clip.
Gambhir, who captained the Knight Riders to both their titles in 2012 and 2014, returned to the franchise as the mentor as co-owner Shahrukh Khan preferred him. The Kolkata-based franchise topped the points table in the league stage with 9 wins in 14 matches and were the first to reach the playoffs.
In the video released before IPL 2024, Gambhir reminded the players that they are representing a hugely successful franchise and must give it their all. The former Indian opener also stated that every player will be treated equally as their mission is to win the trophy.
"We start the season from today. Whether it is physically, mentally, or skill wise, give everything possible. It’s a very, very proud and a successful franchise. You guys are representing a very successful franchise. Make sure you train that way, you play that way, and you carry that attitude on the field."
"One thing I absolutely believe in is giving all the freedom to the players. That is something very important. So people who have played with me, know one thing, that everyone in this group will be treated equally. There’s no senior/junior. No domestic/international because we have got one mission and that is to win the IPL. So, everyone needs to follow that one simple path. On 26th May, we should be there, giving everything possible. And it starts from today."
KKR have won 2 out of 3 IPL finals:
The Knight Riders have won 2 out of 3 IPL finals in history, beating the Chennai Super Kings (2012) and Kings XI Punjab (2014) to win the title. Kolkata's only loss in the final came against the Chennai Super Kings in the 2021 edition.
However, an in-form KKR this season will fancy lifting the title for the 3rd time.
