NEW DELHI:
Gautam Gambhir
, the newly appointed head coach of the Indian cricket team, expressed his gratitude to the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and their fans as he steps down from his role as the franchise's coach. Under his guidance, KKR clinched their first IPL title in ten years during the recent season.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (
BCCI
) officially named Gambhir as the successor to batting icon Rahul Dravid on July 9.
The former Indian batter will now take charge of the national team, leaving behind his successful stint with the Kolkata-based franchise.
Gambhir shared a touching video on X, showcasing his strong bond with the Kolkata franchise, which he led to two IPL titles as captain. In the message, Gambhir recognized the significance of his journey with Kolkata, stating, "are a story, are a team".
However, he also emphasized that there are greater legacies to be created and more ambitious scripts to be penned together, as he embarks on a new chapter in his career as a member of the Indian cricket team's coaching staff.
"I smile when you smile. I cry when you cry. I win when you win. I lose, when you lose. I dream when you dream. I achieve when you achieve. I believe with you and I become with you. I am you, Kolkata, I am just one of you. I know your struggles and I know where it hurts. The rejections have crushed me but like you, I wake up embracing hope. I get beaten every day but like you, I am yet to be defeated. They tell me to be popular, I tell them to be a winner. I am you, Kolkata I am just one of you. This Kolkata air talks to me. The sounds, the streets here, the traffic jams. They all convey how you feel. I hear what you say, but I know what you mean. I know you are emotional. So am I. I know you're demanding. So am I. Kolkata, we are a bond. We are a story. We are a team," said Gambhir in his video message.
"And now the time has come when we have to create some legacies together. The time has come when we have to write some bigger and bolder scripts. The script not with purple ink but in that blue, the treasured India blue. As we both take our fresh card we promise each other that we will never walk alone. It will always be shoulder-to-shoulder, hand in hand. It will all be for the tricolor. It will all be about our India," he added.
Gambhir's tenure as mentor of KKR was highly successful, as he revamped the team's approach after a few disappointing seasons. The opening pair of Phil Salt and Sunil Narine led the charge, making KKR one of the most formidable and aggressive batting lineups in the tournament. The spin bowling combination of Varun Chakravarthy and Narine, along with the youthful exuberance of Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora, also contributed significantly to the team's championship victory.
The championship triumph also elevated the status of Indian middle-order batsman Shreyas Iyer, who had been excluded from the BCCI's central contract list earlier in the year. Following Gambhir's success with KKR, fans are eagerly anticipating his leadership of the Indian national team, hoping that he will guide them to numerous victories with the same aggressive, winning, and never-give-up attitude.
English (US) ·