Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) clinched their third Indian Premier League (IPL) title by defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Sunday. This season marked KKR’s most successful campaign in the history of the lucrative league, with Gautam Gambhir playing a crucial role in their triumph.
Gambhir, who led KKR to victory in 2012 and 2014, was appointed as the team’s mentor for this season. This decision proved highly rewarding for the Knight Riders, as Gambhir’s strategic guidance contributed significantly to their historic achievement.
KKR players lift Gautam Gambhir during victory celebration
Elated with their title win, KKR players expressed gratitude for Gambhir’s significant contribution to the team’s immense success. During the celebration, Nitish Rana and Ramandeep Singh hoisted the team’s mentor onto their shoulders and carried him for a few steps before sharing a warm hug together.
Here is the video:
He who carried us to the win with his mentorship! 🫡💜 pic.twitter.com/eOvrl76FOf
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) May 27, 2024
Gambhir expresses his pleasure with KKR’s win
After the team led by Shreyas Iyer secured victory, Gambhir expressed his reaction on X (previously Twitter). The former Indian batter mentioned that those who adhere to truth in both their thoughts and actions are still guided by Lord Krishna, akin to how the deity guided Arjuna.
“जिसकी मति और गति सत्य की हो,
उसका रथ आज भी श्री कृष्ण चलाते हैं”
— Gautam Gambhir (Modi Ka Parivar) (@GautamGambhir) May 26, 2024
Shortly afterwards, the cricketer hailing from Delhi shared three pictures from the Final clash in Chennai, captioning them with “Dare to win” and purple heart emojis.
Dare to Dream!! 💜💜 pic.twitter.com/y43y1X3Lyc
— Gautam Gambhir (Modi Ka Parivar) (@GautamGambhir) May 27, 2024
Also READ: IPL 2024 – Mitchell Starc hints at ‘retiring’ from a specific format to prioritize participation in franchise leagues
Nitish Rana opens up about a warm moment he shared with Gambhir
During a post-match discussion, Nitish recounted a moment when he extended congratulations to Gambhir for his appointment as the team’s mentor. The KKR batter recalled messaging Gambhir to convey his congratulations, to which the 42-year-old responded with gratitude but added that his happiness would only be complete if KKR lifted the trophy.
“I want to share one short story that when GG (Gautam Gambhir) bhaiya was named the mentor. I sent him a long message as I was really happy. But he replied saying, ‘Thank you but I would be happy if we stand at the podium with the trophy in our hands’. Today is that day and I will never forget that message,” said Nitish as quoted by TOI.
Also WATCH: Andre Russell dances with Bollywood actress Ananya Panday in KKR’s title winning party
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