NEW DELHI: “There was a thrill factor that I miss a little. He has an aura in the way he carries the team forward,” Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) pacer Harshit Rana had said about missing Gautam Gambhir’s presence, while speaking in the national capital before their match against Delhi Capitals earlier this season.KKR clinched the IPL 2024 title under mentor Gambhir, who had previously led the team to two titles as captain — in 2012 and 2014.In IPL 2024, KKR were a dominant force, winning nine matches, losing just two, with two no-results. They ended the league stage with 20 points and an astonishing net run rate of +1.428 before storming into the playoffs.But this season, things took a different turn. Two key changes defined KKR’s 2025 campaign — captain Shreyas Iyer, who led them to the 2024 title, wasn’t part of the squad, and mentor Gambhir had also moved on.As a result, the defending champions failed to make the playoffs in IPL 2025. Did KKR really miss that ‘thrill factor’ Harshit referred to?
Manvinder Bisla, former KKR opener and a hero of their 2012 title win under Gambhir’s captaincy, explained why Gambhir’s presence created such a significant impact for KKR last year.“After many years, Gautam (Gambhir) returned to the franchise. And it’s not like he came in and made big changes right away. If you look at the playing XI, only Mitchell Starc and Ramandeep were added — and then this team went on to become champions. For several years, it didn’t feel like this team had that kind of momentum. Even among experts, when predictions were made about the top four or potential winners, KKR’s name was rarely mentioned. Suddenly, Gautam comes in, and under his guidance, the team becomes champions. So, he brings a huge impact — and not just with KKR,” Bisla told TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interview.“Even in the two years before this, he was with another team (likely referring to LSG), and they also made it to the playoffs. And now that he’s left, that team is struggling. The winning mentality Gautam brings is extremely important — especially in the IPL, where the difference between the team finishing first and the one finishing tenth isn’t massive.”“What I really admire about Gautam is that he doesn’t go by big names. He looks at which player can win him a match, and when. Whether it’s an international star, an uncapped player, or someone who’s never played an IPL match — if he believes that player can deliver, he backs him fully and gives him confidence. Many teams — especially those that haven’t won the title and continue to struggle year after year — make the mistake of relying too heavily on big names. They think, ‘We have these foreign stars or reputed Indian players,’ and form a team based on that. But this is cricket. If you don’t have at least 12 solid players on your bench, you won’t win. That’s why backing uncapped players becomes crucial.”“A lot of teams give an uncapped player just two matches — if he performs, great; otherwise, he’s dropped. In such cases, the player never really gets a chance to show what he’s capable of. He needs to feel trusted — to know the captain believes in him, says, ‘You’re good, and you’ll get at least 3–4 games to prove yourself.’ No player can perform instantly under pressure — he needs time and the right environment. That’s why Gautam is special — because of that mindset,” Bisla said.
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Ahead of IPL 2025, KKR appointed Ajinkya Rahane as their captain after picking him up for ₹1.5 crore at the auction. Given his vast experience with both the bat and as a leader, there were high hopes that Rahane would emulate Iyer’s 2024 success. But things didn’t pan out that way, as the three-time champions endured a disappointing campaign.Who’s that IPL player?“There have been many players whom Gautam (Gambhir) backed strongly. Mitchell Starc is a perfect example. Look at the price KKR paid for him. In the league stage, he didn’t do much — except maybe that game in Mumbai where he picked up wickets and helped defend a modest total. Otherwise, he only really performed in the playoffs. But Gautam didn’t drop him or panic.”“This time, the team never really had that winning moment. If you look at it initially, they won one match and lost one — so there was never a phase where they won 2–3 matches back-to-back to build that winning spirit, the kind that gives you the belief that you can win from anywhere. That’s because the team never had a consistent winning run. I think that’s where the problem started. The intent that you need in the middle overs was missing, and it’s been like that the whole season. The intent was just completely missing,” Bisla said.
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