IPL 2019: 5 reasons why Kolkata Knight Riders should get back Gautam Gambhir

Not even a year ago, he was still a part of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), but Gautam Gambhir wanted to take up new challenges as far as his Indian Premier League (IPL) career is concerned. His fortunes in the T20 extravaganza changed thereafter. He was indeed picked up by Delhi Daredevils (DD), but he was about to take charge of a team, which didn’t have a great record in the event. He strained every sinew, however, couldn’t bring glory for them. His own aspirations also went into the doldrums and recently, the two-time IPL winning captain has been released by last year’s cellar dwellers. Meanwhile, this gives an opportunity for KKR to get their favourite son back and there are reasons why they should go after him in the auction. In our article, we take a look at five of them. Recent form Gautam Gambhir .(Photo Source: Twitter) Form is a crucial criterion for selection of a player in the IPL and Gambhir undoubtedly fulfils the same for the reason that he has been amongst the runs for Delhi in domestic cricket. Having notched 518 runs in 10 matches, the left-handed batsman was second in the list of leading run-scorers in the Vijay Hazare Trophy with a top score of 151 retired out against Kerala. As far as his form as the captain is concerned, the seasoned campaigner led Delhi to the final of the domestic One Day tournament against Mumbai at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. Even in Delhi’s first Ranji Trophy encounter against Himachal Pradesh, he played a couple of breezy knocks, something which shows that he isn’t out of touch by any means. The nostalgia of the KKR jersey Gautam Gambhir of Kolkata Knight Riders. (Photo Source: Twitter) The veteran first donned the Knights jersey back in 2011 when he was brought for a whopping INR 11.4 crores and he embarked on a glorious journey thereafter. At that point in time, it would’ve been tough to predict whether he would be able to help the Knights garner numerous laurels in the next seven years, but eventually, he did and the numbers are there for all to see. Wearing the KKR jersey, Gambhir has seen several ups and downs and the fact that a chunk of his memories in the T20 tournament has come in the Gold and Purple outfit can’t be denied. Delhi Daredevils might be his home franchise, but the Knights jersey has to be a source of inspiration for him, something which can definitely bring the best out of the cricketer. Relation with the owners Gautam Gambhir. (Photo Source: BCCI) After Gautam was let go by the Knight Riders, Venky Mysore, the Chief Executive Officer(CEO) and Managing Director (MD) of the franchise, mentioned that they had the cricketer in their plans for the erstwhile season. But they didn’t want to hinder someone’s future aspirations and therefore allowed Gambhir to move on. It shows KKR’s respect for him and his opinions. Moreover, Shah Rukh Khan, the popular Bollywood actor and the franchise owner, has also lauded the 37-year-old for his contributions towards the Knights. Hence it can be understood that there was no rift between him and the honchos of the franchise. Their relationship worked wonders for KKR and it can do the same next year as well, provided they resort to buying him in the auction. Familiarity with the Eden Gardens Gautam Gambhir. (Photo Source: BCCI) Prior to every encounter, the captains go out to check the nature of the strip and then decide on their tactics and teams. Most of the times, Gambhir reads the pitch to perfection. The Eden Gardens mostly assists the spinners and bearing in mind the nature of the deck, he decided to go in for a certain Sunil Narine, who turned out to be a household name by the end of the 2012 season. He has batted a number of instances on the wicket and hence, he knows it’s character by the back of his palm. He also must be used to the buzz generated by the packed house when the crowd chants- “Kayy Kaayy Aaar”, screaming their lungs out. Last season when he played at Eden Gardens, he mentioned that the Knights have the most loyal fan-base, which shows his sentiments towards KKR. A future mentor for the Knights Gautam Gambhir. (Photo Source: BCCI) It goes without saying that Gambhir doesn’t have a whole lot of years ahead of him in IPL cricket. Last year, he moved to the Daredevils, but couldn’t weave his magic as he used to for the Knight Riders. As a result, the team didn’t take time in sidelining him, first from the eleven and then from the squad itself. This is a golden chance for KKR to get him back into the mix. In a team, which mostly has some power-hitters in the ranks, Gambhir can bring a sense of calmness. Moreover, he can bow out on a high whenever he decides to do so following which he can become a mentor of the team. The franchise has a number of youngsters like Shubman Gill, Shivam Mavi and they can learn a whole lot by rubbing shoulders with Gambhir. Get the latest Cricket News and updates, Match Predictions, Fantasy Cricket Tips and lots more on CricTracker.com.

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IPL 2019: 5 reasons why Kolkata Knight Riders should get back Gautam Gambhir

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