Gautam Gambhir's performance analysis in IPL 9 thus far

Gautam Gambhir’s Kolkata Knight Riders have had yet another promising start to an IPL season with 4 wins in their last 7 matches. The left-hander who is out of the Indian side since 2014 has stunned everyone with his performance. He did ring the bells of making a comeback to the national side several times, which went unheard. His first-class and List A matches last year reveal a lot about his thirst to score runs and hunger to win matches for his side. Being the senior most Indian player in the Knight Riders squad, a lot of youngsters and newcomers look up to Gambhir, as a role model. Well this obviously adds a tinge of pressure on the skipper. Gambhir, who started his career in 2003 has certainly come a long way and has bagged several accolades and achievements to his name so far. He has been dropped & recalled to the Indian team several times. With the way he is performing this year at IPL 2016, it only makes us wonder how good he is getting with the age.

Here’s a quick run-through of Gambhir’s inning so far in the IPL 2016 which will leave you perplexed, stunned, amazed and you will love it.

Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Daredevils

Result: KKR  won by 9 wickets

Kolkata Knight Riders put Delhi Daredevils to bat first and restricted them to below par score of 98 runs. Gautam Gambhir chasing this meagre total had all the time to set up himself at the crease. He scored 38 runs off 44 balls and sealed KKR’s first victory in IPL 9. It was a wholehearted display by the team, first shining with the ball and then inflicting serious injuries to Delhi Daredevils with the bat. Knight Riders opened their IPL 2016 campaign in style, credits to the strong foundation led by the openers Gambhir and his opening partner Robin Uthappa.

Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians:

Result: Mumbai Indians won by 6 wickets

Despite putting a mammoth total of 187 runs on the board, KKR couldn’t pull this one off Mumbai Indian’s fist. Despite the loss, Gautam came out all heroics for his meaningful 64 off just 52 balls. Rohit Sharma’s romance with the Eden Gardens continued as he powered Mumbai Indian’s to a 6-wicket victory. Mitchell McClenaghan played a cameo and shifted the momentum in tail overs. After the game, Gambhir praised the opponents saying, “I think if one of the top three batters bats through the innings, it makes it difficult. I think we didn’t start off well with the ball. Credit goes to Mumbai Indians.”

Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad:

Result: KKR won by 8 wickets

Sunrisers Hyderabad posted 142 runs on the board and the chase looked quite serene for Kolata. They chased down the modest total riding on the back of skipper’s unbeaten 90 off just 60 balls. It was a pure display of class by the left-hander who once again proved the old adage – Old is Gold. His open stance worked like a charm and was evident in the cuts and pulls he played. This win confirmed their 2nd spot in the group table.

Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kings XI Punjab:

Result: KKR won by 6 wickets

Gambhir played another crucial role alongside Robin Uthappa where he scored a sensible 34 off 34 balls. The classy opening pair caused the damage once again. Gambhir set the tone for the innings with Robin, bringing up 50 in just 4.4 overs. After his inning curtailed in the 11th over, middle order batsmen Surya Kumar Yadav and Yusuf Pathan came to the rescue. An easy total to chase earned KKR the top position in the group table.

Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rising Pune Supergiants

Result: KKR won by 2 wickets

Skipper Gautam Gambhir started the innings with a bang, but this time could manage only 11 runs off 5 balls. Suryakumar took up the task and completed it well in style, scoring 60 off 49 balls. Chasing 160 at once looked quite difficult, but Surya’s well crafted fifty paved their way to yet another victory. The match was evident of the depth KKR has in their batting line up. They survived a frantic chase and even Gambhir went all out praising Suryakumar Yadav for his knock. “To push Surya up was a gamble but the way he batted showed his class and gives us a lot of options going forward. 160 was above par but we were professional and got sixes at the right time, overall there were more positives than negatives, “he said.

Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians:

Result: Mumbai Indians won by 6 wickets

KKR were put into bat first and managed 174 at the end of 20 overs. They got off to a flying start. Gambhir once again played the captain’s knock as he anchored the innings with his 59 that came off 45 balls. But it’s Mumbai Indians who sealed the victory in style. At one point, Kolkata looked cruising towards the victory. But the mighty Kieron Pollard had some other plans for his team. Nothing could have been better than Mumbai Indians winning their last home game. The crowd went crooning to the name. Why would they not? Gambhir accepted that they fell short of 20 runs, which led to the defeat.

Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Daredevils

Result: Delhi daredevils won by 27 runs

Delhi batting first posted a humongous score of 186 runs. In response, KKR skipper Gambhir couldn’t withstand Zaheer Khan’s short ball, which induced leading edge only to be caught by Shreyas Iyer. A comprehensive victory for the hosts, as the KKR middle order fumbled and couldn’t convert into big ones. Gambhir will look to rectify that soon. KKR stumbled down to the 3 spot in the points table after the defeat.

In the first 7 matches of IPL 9 Gautam Gambhir has scored 302 runs and is among the highest run getters in the tournament so far. He has already shown what he is capable of and remains one of the best T20 openers in the country. He is certainly like a wine, that is getting better and better with age.

Written by Vishal Yadav