New Delhi: New India head coach Gautam Gambhir has bid farewell to Kolkata Knight Riders, whom he mentored to IPL 2024 title, after which he took over the national team job.
Gambhir replaced the outgoing Rahul Dravid, who left the job after guiding India to the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean last month.
As a player, Gambhir helped KKR win two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014 before returning as mentor to help them lift their third title in 2024.
Prior to his return at KKR, Gambhir had mentored Lucknow Super Giants for two years and emerged as the best candidate for the India job.
Before beginning his India stint through the Sri Lanka tour later this month, Gambhir bid an emotional goodbye to KKR fans, speaking about his bond with the city of Kolkata and the team.
Come Kolkata, let’s create some new legacies @KKRiders @iamsrk @indiancricketteam
Dedicated to Kolkata and KKR fans…
Special thanks to Cricket Association of Bengal @cabcricket @kkriders
Directed by:
@pankyyyyyyyyyyyy
DOP: @Rhitambhattacharya
Written by:
Dinesh Chopra… pic.twitter.com/vMcUjalOLj
— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) July 16, 2024
“Come Kolkata, let’s create some new legacies @kkriders @iamsrk @indiancricketteam. Dedicated to Kolkata and KKR fans. Special thanks to Cricket Association of Bengal @cabcricket @kkriders,” Gambhir write while posting a two-minute, 30-second-long video on his Instagram channel.
“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’m 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’m yet to be defeated.
“They tell me to be popular, I tell them to be a winner. I am you, Kolkata I’m 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’re 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 tri colour. It will all be about our India,” he added.
Gautam Gambhir replaced Rahul Dravid as head coach, who left the job after guiding India to the T20 World Cup. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
