IPL 2018: Will Miss Gautam Gambhir, Says KKR Co-owner Shah Rukh Khan

The upcoming season of Indian Premier League won’t be quite same for the Kolkata Knight Riders fans and everyone associated with the franchise. For the past seasons, they had witnessed Gautam Gambhir leading the side with utmost aplomb, transforming the side from under-achievers to one of the most successful teams in the history of the tournament.

After spending the first three seasons in the bottom half of the table, the Kolkata-based outfit bought Gambhir for a whopping amount of $2.4 million and it was worth every penny.

Under Gambhir’s captaincy, the Kolkata Knight Riders qualified for the IPL playoffs and also made it to the Champions League Twenty20 for the first time in 2011. In the following season, he led the side to their first title in 2012 by defeating defending champions Chennai Super Kings. Two years later, he led the team to their second title, making the Knight Riders one of the most successful teams in the leagues. Even in the last season, he led the side to a third-place finish in the league.

Gambhir was equally impressive with the bat. One of the most successful batsmen in the history of the league, Gambhir was the batting mainstay of the Knight Riders since joining the side. In the seven seasons, he scored 3,035 runs with the help of 27 half-centuries.

The southpaw, however, was surprisingly released by the franchise. There were speculations that the two-time IPL champions would retain Gambhir by using the Right to Match card in the auction. However, the franchise did not bid for Gambhir at all and also did not exercise Right to Match card. The reason for it was later revealed by the franchise’s CEO Venky Mysore when Gambhir was re-signed by his first IPL team Delhi Daredevils for Rs 2.8 crore.

“First of all congratulations (to DD). Best wishes to Gauti (Gambhir). He has done a brilliant job for us and a big thanks for everything he has done. Just to clarify, he was very much in our plans for the auction, Right to Match. He had a conversation with us well before (the auction) and there might be a different challenge (for him),” Mysore had said at the auction.

“We don’t know what it was. And had requested if we could refrain from bidding for him or using Right to Match. We said, ‘listen we will never come in the progress of anyone or anyone’s aspirations’. It is a new challenge he wanted. Sorry to see him go. Seven great years. I think he will be fantastic for Delhi,” he had added.

Few days after the surprising turn of events, Knight Riders co-owner Shah Rukh Khan, on Friday ( February 2) spoke about Gambhir, admitting that the franchise would miss its former talismanic skipper.

In a Twitter interaction with fans, the Bollywood superstar wrote: “Will miss him,” when a fan requested him for one line for Gambhir.

Will miss him. https://t.co/cAbW58egDV

— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) February 2, 2018

In another tweet, Shah Rukh stated that the team’s philosophy would be to put faith in the youngsters which more or less makes it clear why the team shelled out a good amount of fortune to secure the services of as many as three Under-19 players – Shubman Gill, Shivam Mavi, and Kamlesh Nagarkoti.

“Our philosophy at KKR is nurture & believe in youngsters. I feel we will come good,” he wrote.

Our philosophy at KKR is nurture & believe in youngsters. I feel we will come good. https://t.co/9FyjiilJfu

— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) February 2, 2018

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