The Indian Premier League season for Kolkata Knight Riders did not get off to the best of beginnings, but it wasn’t until Gautam Gambhir was named captain that things began to change and they went on to win their only two IPL championships to date. And Gautam Gambhir’s outstanding captaincy decisions are to blame for everything. Here are 5 such choices that elevated the group to success.
1. Making Sunil Narine the IPL’s first batter- One of the major alterations to Sunil Narine’s playing position with the Kolkata Knight Riders came before the 2017 Indian Premier League season. Sunil Narine was selected as the team’s opener under the leadership of Gautam Gambhir, one of the best players in tournament history.
2. Manvinder Bisla taking Brendon McCullum’s place in the IPL Finals of 2012- In the 2012 IPL Finals, Kolkata Knight Riders achieved their first victory, and Gautam Gambhir’s choices during the match’s decisive moment were crucial. Prior to the championship game, the squad suffered a serious setback, but Gambhir substituted Brett Lee for the injured Lakshipathy Balaji.
3. Adding Shakib Al Hasan and Jacques Kallis to the team- In the same year that Shakib Al Hasan and Jacques Kallis joined the team as superstar cricketers, Gautam Gambhir was appointed captain of the group. Gambhir may not have had a voice in the purchasing, but many were astonished by how these two cricket players were incorporated into the team.
4. Completely revamping the team before the IPL 2014 while keeping the core- The Kolkata Knight Riders had a fantastic run during the 2012 IPL, but they fell significantly in the rankings the following year after finishing seventh in the points standings among the nine participating teams. Therefore, it was once more time for captain Gambhir to step up and demonstrate his skills as a team leader. He completely overhauled the team prior to the tournament’s 2014 season.
5. Maximizing the strength of Andre Russell’s muscles- With complementing each other so brilliantly that it is difficult to envision either of them without the other, Kolkata Knight Riders and Andre Russell have emerged as two of the most associated names in the competition. But everything that made Andre Russell the monster he is, was a genius move by Gautam Gambhir.
Source: FeatureCricket