‘IPL isn’t about Bollywood and after party…’Gautam Gambhir Issues Stern Warning to KKR Ahead of IPL 2024

Gautam Gambhir, the coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders, has ‘serious’ counsel for his players as they prepare for the next Indian Premier League season. Gambhir, who led KKR to two titles as captain, stated that the IPL is not about Bollywood or other glitz, but rather a platform for players to express themselves in the world’s most competitive tournament.

KKR, who won their last IPL title in 2014, hired Gambhir as a consultant after the legendary Indian opener left Lucknow Super Giants after two years to return to Kolkata. He attended the IPL 2024 players’ auction alongside other KKR members, when the franchise spent a record-breaking INR 24.75 crore to recruit Mitchell Starc.

“I made it very clear on Day 1 that IPL for me, a serious cricket. It’s not about Bollywood, it’s not about you, it’s not about after party and stuff. It’s about going out there and playing competitive cricket and that’s the reason why I feel is the toughest league in the world because it is proper cricket,” Gambhir said on Star Sports.

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The experienced hitter emphasised the importance of the Indian Premier League on the global scene.

“It is probably closest to international cricket as compared to any other league and if you want to be known as a successful franchise, you should be able to deliver on the cricket field,” he added

KKR is just the third franchise to win multiple IPL titles, following the Chennai Super Kings and the Mumbai Indians. However, things have not gone well for them in the previous several seasons, as they finished eighth and failed to make the playoffs.
Gambhir also spoke on Kolkata’s devoted supporters, which has supported the team throughout difficult times.

“I think there are very passionate fans. We need to be honest to them. We need to try and probably bring that happiness on their smiles because I’ve always believed I think the most loyal fans have been fans from Kolkata because they’ve gone through a lot in the first three years of the IPL,” Gambhir said.

The two-time IPL champion also stated that players should not focus on off-field activities and instead search for methods to help the club win another title.

“Obviously it was the most high profile team as well. But I’ve always been a believer that ultimately it’s not about glamour. It’s about what we do on the cricket fields is all that matters and KKR should not be known for off field activities. They should be known for what we deliver on the cricket field,” concluded the KKR mentor.

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