As Kolkata Knight Riders secured their third Indian Premier League (IPL) title without even breaking a sweat, beating Sunrisers Hyderabad by 8 wickets on Sunday (26 May), fans hailed team mentor Gautam Gambhir for his influential role behind the triumph.
Kolkata finished seventh last season, and were not regarded as among the prime contenders for the title this year. Yet, they finished first in the league stage with nine wins in 14 matches, and then won both Qualifier 1 and the final comfortably.
The margin of defeat in the final, and the dominance with which they went about their business, was impressive in particular. Bowling Hyderabad out for only 113 runs in what was the lowest-ever score in the history of IPL finals, the Knights chased the total down in only 10.3 overs.
Gambhir, who has won the title twice as a KKR captain, and then took Lucknow Super Giants to two consecutive playoffs as a mentor, is now being touted to become the next head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team as well.
This is how X serenaded Gambhir with praises:
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)