In their 2022-2023 season, KKR showed a poor performance and was at the bottom of the points table but the following year, with Gambhir as their new mentor, KKR reached the top of the IPL points table. Notably, the media puts certain hype on captain Shreyas Iyer and the influence of Gambhir in this game, to which Iyer pointed to Gambhir’s experience and highlighted the role of media in creating artificial controversies.
Gautam Gambhir is an excellent example because he was responsible for leading KKR to IPL titles in both 2012 and 2014 but came back to the franchise as a mentor when the team was struggling. Furthermore, there was spirit when Iyer continued his captaincy for his team after he did not play for the 2023 season due to injuries. The team’s mentoring by Gambhir, Iyer, and head coach Chandrakant led KKR to the IPL 2024 final, where they knocked out Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 1.
During a pre-match press conference, Iyer was unsuspectingly quizzed on his captaincy ability and Gambhir’s influence, and he attributed the hype to the press while complimenting Gambhir for the inputs he gave. He appreciated the skills of Gambhir and the performances of KKR in the previous seasons and therefore considered Gambhir to be definitely helpful in the final.
This will be the fourth IPL final for KKR; in the previous year, they were defoliated by Chennai Super Kings. Going into the final match, it has the advantage over KKR in the last fourteen league matches because KKR won nine matches and KKR also lost five games. KKR has lost twice to SRH within the first half of the season, including a close four-run defeat in the season opener.
The comeback story of KKR, this time under the mentorship of Gambhir and their captain Iyer, has come with a clear message that the IPL franchises need experienced leadership and planning. It might interest the audience to know that KKR has come a long way from occupying the seventh position to becoming league leader within the IPL cricket tournament, and it all comes down to the efforts of good leadership and synergy in the cricket tavern.
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