Former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer has revealed the Gautam Gambhir factor behind the franchise’s title-winning IPL 2024 campaign. Now with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Venkatesh recalled how former KKR mentor Gambhir created an environment in which every player felt valued and was willing to contribute to the team’s cause. In 2024, KKR won their third IPL title after defeating SunRisers Hyderabad in a one-sided final. During a recent interaction, Venkatesh explained how Gambhir’s presence encouraged every player to be more aggressive in their batting approach.
“Sunil Narine and Phil Salt were opening, while Angkrish Raghuvanshi would pad up and be ready to bat next. Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh and I were all padded up from the second over. Andre Russell was there as well, although he usually sat inside,” Venkatesh told former India batter Akash Chopra on the ‘Baith & Bol‘ podcast.
Venkatesh also suggested that Gambhir created a healthy sense of competition within the team, with everyone ready to attack from the very first ball.
“We stayed ready, literally. Of course, I saw it from my own perspective, but looking at them, they were like lions waiting to be unleashed. They would say, ‘Just send us in and we’ll go for it.’ And, touch wood, Salt and Narine rarely got out and batted for long periods. That was the first time I witnessed something like that. All the players wanted was an opportunity, and they were ready to go out and smash it,” he added.
The southpaw explained that while there was no fear factor in the dressing room under Gambhir, the players were aware that there was no room for mediocrity with him around.
“He was sitting right behind us. There was no fear, but there was also no place for mediocrity in that dressing room. You couldn’t play a mediocre shot or a loose stroke and then come and sit next to him. You just couldn’t do that.”
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