Former Indian cricketer Mohammed Kaif, as reported by the Hindustan Times, deftly shifted attention to Iyer’s leadership abilities in a subtle but potent response to those who were unduly promoting Gambhir’s return to KKR. While Gambhir’s presence was acknowledged, Kaif insisted that the on-field captain was the one who really shaped the team’s future by encouraging his own development on the personal and professional fronts.
The Indian Premier League saw the best season yet for the Kolkata Knight Riders, who finished first in the standings with nine victories in fourteen games and just three losses. Unfortunately, bad weather forced them to postpone their last two meetings without any play. It’s interesting to note that in spite of winning titles in both 2012 and 2014, KKR never ended first in the points standings or with a higher win percentage. Instead, they placed second both times.
Significantly, the return of KKR’s two-time IPL winning skipper, Gautam Gambhir, in a mentoring capacity has been primarily credited with the team’s outstanding results this season. His return made it easier to reintroduce Sunil Narine as the opener, a calculated move that paid off well for KKR. With an astounding 482 runs in 14 games, Narine is now the team’s top run scorer thanks to his blazing performances throughout the season.
“We talk about (Gautam) Gambhir all the time, but he is not allowed on the field—inside the rope with the players. Iyer will develop both personally and as a player because he has been there for the guys, the Hindustan Times said.
KKR has all the basics covered when it comes to bowling and batting: Kaif
Speaking about KKR’s all-encompassing performance in the IPL 2024, Kaif emphasized the team’s diversity and ability to successfully cover every facet of the game. He underlined the value of having potent bowlers on championship-winning teams, obliquely mentioning the advances being made in the wickets column by Andre Russell, Varun Chakravarthy, and Harshit Rana. Kaif claimed that KKR was the side to beat in the championship game because of their well-balanced approach, which makes them stand out from the opposition.
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“KKR, in my opinion, is a really well-rounded team. A team that wins a tournament needs strong bowlers, and KKR has them. It’s a balanced side, as you witnessed from the way (Mitchell) Starc bowled against (SRH in Qualifier 1). KKR has every angle covered when it comes to bowling and batting. They are far ahead and the team to beat in the IPL,” Kaif continued.
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