Gautam Gambhir's vision for May 26 realised in grand style as KKR mentor sets 'purple wave' goal for IPL final
PTC News Desk: Gautam Gambhir spoke to the players in his maiden address as the Kolkata Knight Riders coach and mentioned that he planned to be present on May 26, the day of the IPL 2024 final. Two months and a week later, the KKR players lived up to the challenge.
Being the most dominant team in the tournament, they made it to the IPL final. In Qualifier 1, KKR defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad, the second-ranked team, by eight wickets to secure their tickets to Chennai after topping the points table for the first time in 17 years.
Need a purple wave on May 26! Come on KKR fam! ???????? pic.twitter.com/gLVsgso4Ib — Gautam Gambhir (Modi Ka Parivar) (@GautamGambhir) May 21, 2024
In his address, Gambhir discussed the value of a strong team dynamic, the significance of playing for a reputable team like KKR, and the equal rights of every player in the setup.
"The season officially begins today. Give it your all, whether it's in terms of abilities, mentality, or physical prowess. The last and only captain of KKR to win an IPL, Gambhir, had stated in mid-March that the team is a very, very proud and successful one. "You guys are speaking on behalf of a highly prosperous franchise. Make sure you play that way, practice that way, and have that mentality while you're on the field," he continued.
One thing that I firmly support is granting the gamers complete autonomy. That is a really significant matter. Those who have played with me, then, are aware of one thing: everyone in this group will receive the same treatment. Senior and junior are not used. No domestic or foreign competitions, as our sole goal is to win the Indian Premier League. Therefore, everyone must take that one easy route. We should be there on May 26th, doing everything we can. And it begins now," the former captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders had stated.
Over the course of these two months, KKR demonstrated all of those traits and much more. They became the first club to qualify for the playoffs and then lead the standings by winning nine of their twelve games, with two of those games being washouts. They were at their most dominant when playing the high-flying SRH in the playoffs.
In Sunday's (May 26) final at Chennai's Chidambaram Stadium, Gambhir predicted a purple wave.
Mitchell Starc started KKR off with three straight blows. Kolkata, the defending champions, bowled Hyderabad out for 159 runs behind Starc's 3/34 statistics. With only 38 balls remaining, Kolkata reached their target in Ahmedabad thanks to unbroken scores from Venkatesh Iyer (51), and captain Shreyas Iyer (58).
When Hyderabad plays the winner of the eliminator in Friday's second qualifier in Chennai, they will have another chance to advance to the championship match.
Also Read: PM Modi applauds Zomato CEO: 'Surname irrelevant in modern India'
- With inputs from agencies
