I faced Sunil Narine on his international debut, knew he was going to be a T20 legend within 7-8 balls: Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir has given the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) a new lease of life as the former two-time champions have put the disappointments of 2023 behind them and produced commendable performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.

The Knight Riders roped in former captain Gambhir as their mentor ahead of the ongoing edition of the IPL. After failing to reach the playoffs last year, bringing the former India cricketer back into the camp was considered an excellent move by fans as well as experts.  The decision is paying dividends as the Shreyas Iyer-led side finds itself at No. 2 on the points table with four wins and two losses from six games.

Sunil Narine has been one of the star performers for KKR this year. The all-rounder has scored 276 runs and taken seven wickets from six matches so far. His resurgence, especially with the willow, has been one of the highlights of the season for the Knights. Gambhir recently revealed his initial reaction after facing Narine for the first time.

"I faced Sunil Narine in his International Debut at Indore, and within 7-8 balls, I knew he was going to become a legend of the game, especially in T20 Cricket," Gambhir told Cyrus Broacha on Knights Dugout.

Gambhir is receiving plaudits for instilling a dogged mentality and a never-say-die attitude in the KKR camp. The diminutive cricketer said that the most courageous team, and not the most talented team, wins the IPL crown. "It's not the most talented team that goes on to win the IPL. It's the most courageous team that's willing to fight till the last drop of blood that will go on to win the IPL," the 42-year-old said.

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The kind of enthusiasm he brings in all of the players is very inspiring: Manish Pandey

Manish Pandey, who also returned to KKR ahead of IPL 2024, asserted that Gambhir supports everyone in the team and brings out their best.

"The kind of enthusiasm he brings in all of the players is very inspiring, and one can understand the intensity just by looking in his eyes. He backs every player right till the end and supports everyone in a way that you will eventually go out there and give your best for the team," Pandey said.

Also Read: IPL 2024, Match 36: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Match Preview

The Knights are set to face a hapless Royal Challengers Bengaluru side in their next clash at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Sunday, April 21.