When the Kolkata Knight Riders paid a whopping USD 2.4 million in the 2011 IPL Players Auction for Gautam Gambhir, several eyes popped out and eyebrows were raised. Gambhir was neither a ballistic giant like Chris Gayle nor did he have the Midas touch of MS Dhoni. Why would a team spend a fortune on a diminutive opening batsman with more skill than power and without much experience in a leadership role? Two years thence, the answer is here. KKR’s pocket-sized powerhouse has led them to something that they’ve been craving for since the last five years – the IPL crown.
Since his appointment as KKR’s captain, Gambhir has voiced his desire to bring joy to the City of Joy. And he has brought beaming smiles on the faces of the people of Kolkata by leading their team from the front. Despite being KKR’s highest run-getter with 590 runs in the tournament and marshalling his troops wisely, as a team man, Gambhir refuses to bask in self-glory.
After leading KKR to a win over the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2012 final, Gambhir took time out to share his thoughts with iplt20.com. While being modest about his own contributions, Gambhir eulogised his team for showing great heart.
How would you describe this victory?
We wanted to prove this point to everyone that a captain is only as good as his team, and it’s the team that has done the job for us.
