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Gautam Gambhir, renowned for leading Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to two triumphs, has taken on the role of mentor for the team in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Under his guidance, KKR’s performance has been exceptional, securing their qualification for the playoffs as the first team to do in this edition so far. Despite his success as an IPL captain, Gambhir has recently expressed regret regarding his handling of Suryakumar Yadav during his tenure as KKR’s captain.
Gautam Gambhir’s reflections on leadership and regrets
In an interview with Sportskeeda, Gambhir acknowledged that his failure to recognize Suryakumar’s potential and find his optimal batting position in the lineup remains his biggest regret as KKR captain. He emphasized that a leader’s responsibility is to identify a player’s strengths and showcase them to the world. Reflecting on his leadership, Gambhir lamented that he couldn’t maximize Suryakumar’s potential according to his abilities, citing the challenge of balancing team composition and player roles.
“A leader’s role is to identify a player’s best abilities and showcase it to the world. If I have any regret in my 7-year captaincy, it’s that I couldn’t make the best use of Suryakumar Yadav according to his abilities. It was a combination of factors. You can only play one player at number 3. As a leader, you also have to think about the other 10 players in the XI. He was effective at number 3, but he was just as good at number 7,” Gambhir said.
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Suryakumar, now a champion player with Mumbai Indians (MI), had a stint with KKR from 2014 to 2017, often finding himself batting lower down the order. Despite this, he consistently delivered commendable performances. However, it was when MI promoted him up the order that his true capabilities shone. Gambhir further praised Suryakumar’s team spirit, highlighting his readiness to contribute regardless of his batting position or role within the team. This commitment earned him the role of vice-captain.
“Surya was also a team player. Anyone can be a good player, but becoming a team player is tough. Whether you play him at number 6 or 7 or put him on the bench, he always smiled and was ready to perform for the team. That’s why we made him the vice-captain,”
Gambhir’s IPL journey with KKR
Suryakumar’s IPL journey began in 2012 with MI, where he played just one match before being released the following year. Upon joining KKR in 2014, he swiftly made an impact, helping the team clinch the title in his debut season. Despite predominantly featuring as a lower middle-order batter during his four-year tenure with KKR, Suryakumar showcased his batting prowess, accumulating 608 runs in 54 matches.
