New Delhi: “There was an adventure factor that I miss a little. The way he takes the team forward, he has an aura,” Kolkata Knight Riders ,KKR won the IPL 2024 title under Mentor Gambhir, who first led the team as captains in 2012 and 2014.In IPL 2024, KKR was a major force, winning nine matches, just two with two no-revenue. He terminated the league stage with 20 points and a stunning net run rate of +1.428 before the storm in the playoffs.But in this season, things took a different turn. The two major changes defined KKR’s 2025 campaign – Captain Shres Iyer, who led him to the 2024 title, was not part of the squad, and the mentor also moved forward.As a result, defending champions failed to make playoffs IPL 2025Has KKR really remembered that ‘thrill factor’?
Manvinder Bisla, a hero of his 2012 title victory under the captaincy of former KKR opener and Gambhir, explained why Gambhir’s presence created such an important impact for KKR last year.“After many years, Gautam (Gambhir) returned to the franchise. And it is not that he came in and overcome major changes. If you look at the playing XI, only Mitchell Starc and Ramandip were added – and then it became the team champion.“Even in the first two years, she was with another team (likely to mention LSG), and she also made it in the playoffs. And now that she is left, she is struggling. The team is struggling. The winning mentality brings Gautam – especially in the IPL, where the difference between the team is first and not to end.”“I really praise about Gautam that he does not go by big names. He sees which player can win a match, and when it is an international star, an uncapormed player, or someone who has never played an IPL match – if he believes that the player can take him back completely and assure him.“A lot of teams give just two matches to an uncontempted player – if he performs, great; otherwise, he is dropped. In such cases, the player really doesn’t get a chance to show what he is able to do. He needs to feel reliable – the captain needs to feel reliable to know that he is good, ‘you are good, and you will get at least 3-4 games to prove yourself.” No player can perform immediately under pressure – he needs time and the right environment.
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Next to IPL 2025, KKR appointed Ajinkya Rahane as his captain after taking him for ₹ 1.5 crore in the auction. Looking at their huge experience with both as a bat and a leader, there were high expectations that Rahane would follow Iyer’s success of 2024. But things were not paan in that way, as the three -time champion ended a disappointing campaign.Who is that IPL player?“There are many players who have been strongly supported by Gautam (Gambhir). Mitchell Starc is an ideal example. Look at KKR paid for him. In the league stage, he did not do much – maybe in Mumbai, leaving the game where he took wickets and helped defend a minor clan.“This time, the team had never really a winning moment. If you see it in the beginning, they won a match and lost one-so there was not a phase where they did not win 2-3 matches back-to-back to make that victory, the way you believe that you can win from anywhere. The intentions were completely disappeared,” said Bisla said.
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