The Knight Riders played a dominant brand of cricket that they were known for throughout the season.
It was the third IPL crown for the Knight Riders and their first since 2014 when Gautam Gambhir won his second title with the side.
Gambhir left Lucknow after a two-year stint to join the Knight Riders as their mentor for the 2024 season.
Today is that day and I will never forget that message," Rana said.
Eventually, Shreyas Iyer became only the second captain after Gautam Gambhir to win an IPL title with KKR.
Former KKR captain Nitish Rana shed light on Gautam Gambhir's steely determination, recalling a conversation he had with the mentor before the start of the IPL 2024 season. Minutes after the Knight Riders won their third IPL crown after blowing away SRH in a one-sided final in Chennai, Nitish recalled a text message that he had sent to Gambhir and the mentor's response -- an unforgettable reply.
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SRH vs KKR, IPL Final Updates | Scorecard
KKR outclassed SunRisers by 8 wickets, bowling Pat Cummins's side for 113, the lowest team total in an IPL final. The Knight Riders played a dominant brand of cricket that they were known for throughout the season. It was the third IPL crown for the Knight Riders and their first since 2014 when Gautam Gambhir won his second title with the side.
Speaking to the broadcasters, Nitish Rana said he had congratulated Gautam Gambhir after the former India opener was announced as the mentor of the side via a text message and said he would never forget the reply from the man himself. Gambhir left Lucknow after a two-year stint to join the Knight Riders as their mentor for the 2024 season.
"I want to share one short story that when GG bhaiya (Gambhir) was named the mentor, I sent him a long message as I was really happy. But he replied saying, 'Thank you but I would be happy if we stand at the podium with the trophy in our hands'. Today is that day and I will never forget that message," Rana said.
THE GAMBHIR EFFECT
Gautam Gambhir seems to have made an immediate impact with his 'second home' as the Knight Riders played like champions once again, finishing on top of the points table in the league stage and remaining unbeaten in the playoffs.
Gambhir's favourites -- Sunil Narine and Andre Russell -- were terrific throughout the season as the two West Indies stars repaid the faith showed in them, overcoming a difficult phase over the last few years.
Eventually, Shreyas Iyer became only the second captain after Gautam Gambhir to win an IPL title with KKR. He also became only the fifth Indian after MS Dhoni, Gambhir, Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya to lay his hand on the coveted trophy.
Published By: Akshay Ramesh Published On: May 26, 2024
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