Gautam Gambhir joined KKR
It’s Gautam Gambhir‘s homecoming. On Wednesday, November 21, the former India opener resigned from his position as coach of the Lucknow Super Giants and joined the Kolkata Knight Riders in front of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL). In addition to joining the two-time winners as a mentor, Gambhir will collaborate closely with head coach Chandrakant Pandit.
Gambhir led KKR to two titles in 2012 and 2014. After resigning as captain of the Lucknow Super Giants, Gautam Gambhir wrote a poignant message on social media. Gambhir has been associated with LSG since the KL Rahul-led team’s founding in 2022. “Gambhir held a significant position in the Lucknow Super Giants organization alongside head coach Andy Flower, who resigned earlier in the season, maintaining control over the proceedings.
Australia’s T20 World Cup winning coach Justin Langer was brought in by Lucknow for the forthcoming campaign. “As I declare the end of my wonderful experience with the Lucknow Super Giants, I am incredibly grateful and overwhelmed with love for each and every one of the players, coaches, support staff, and individual who has made this journey memorable,” Gautam Gambhir said in a final statement.
“It would be my pleasure to thank Dr. Sanjiv Goenka for his outstanding support of all of my endeavors and for his inspirational leadership in building this amazing business. I’m confident that the group will continue to grow and inspire pride in all LSG devotees. “I’m not one to be easily moved, but this holds a different sentiment,” expressed Gambhir in a statement.
“This is a return to where it all began. Today, as I contemplate donning that purple and gold jersey again, there’s a lump in my throat and a blazing fire in my heart.” “Best wishes, LSG Brigade!” Gambhir, a champion of the T20 (2007) and ODI (2011) World Cups, joined Knight Riders in 2011 and remained with the team until 2017.
During his tenure, Knight Riders secured IPL playoffs berths five times, clinching the title twice and also making it to the final of the now-defunct Champions League T20 in 2014. “He has always been a part of our family, and now our captain returns home in a new role as a ‘Mentor’,” remarked team co-owner Shah Rukh Khan.
“His absence was deeply felt, and we eagerly anticipate Chandu [Chandrakant Pandit] Sir and Gautam fostering the indomitable spirit and sportsmanship they exemplify, to weave magic with Team KKR.” Gambhir will return to the Kolkata Knight Riders, the team he led to prominence, with mixed emotions.
After KKR, which is co-owned by Shah Rukh Khan, struggled in the first three years of the IPL, Gambhir was an inspired captain who guided the team to two titles. In a statement, KKR stated that Gautam Gambhir will rejoin the team as “Mentor” and work with head coach Chandrakant Pandit.
The Knight Riders’ support staff is spearheaded by head coach Chandrakant Pandit, accompanied by Abhishek Nayar (assistant coach), James Foster (assistant coach), Bharat Arun (bowling coach), and Ryan ten Doeschate (fielding coach). Having been part of every IPL season since its inception in 2008, Knight Riders reached the IPL final in 2021, losing to the Chennai Super Kings, but faced consecutive seventh-place finishes in 2022 and 2023.
Gambhir had a truly historic relationship with KKR from 2011 to 2017. The squad also said that during this time it qualified for the playoffs five times, won the championship twice, and advanced to the Champions League T20 finals in 2014. After leaving KKR to play for the Delhi Capitals, Gambhir became a mentor at LSG.
In recent times, apart from his roles as a Member of Parliament and a cricket pundit on TV, Gautam Gambhir was associated with the Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL. Initially joining them as part of the two new teams in the 2022 IPL season, he was later elevated to the position of “global mentor,” expanding his role to include Durban’s Super Giants in the SA20 league in South Africa as well.
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