"Best Thing To Happen To KKR": Robin Uthappa On Gautam Gambhir's Appointment As Mentor

Kolkata Knight Riders, on Wednesday (November 22), announced the appointment of their former captain Gautam Gambhir as the mentor for the forthcoming season of the Indian Premier League.

Gautam Gambhir spent seven seasons with the Kolkata-based outfit as a player and led them in all the seasons. In 2011, KKR signed him up for a record $2.4 million, making him the highest-paid player in the history of IPL at that time. The former India opener completely justified the price tag by transforming KKR from underperformers to powerhouses.

During his 7-year stint as captain, KKR failed to make it to the playoffs just twice after failing to progress ahead of the league stage even once before Gautam Gambhir’s arrival. They also won the IPL twice under his captaincy and made it to the final of the now-defunct Champions League T20.

KKR have not won the title since 2014 and the franchise as well as the fans will be hoping that Gautam Gambhir ends their long wait once again. His return has not only excited the fans but his former teammate and ex-KKR batter Robin Uthappa as well. Soon after the news was announced, Robin Uthappa took to X to react to it, writing:

“By far the best thing to happen to KKR since he left!! Excited for @KKRiders now!!“

By far the best thing to happen to KKR since he left!! Excited for @KKRiders now!! https://t.co/5koUTpMQgy

— Robin Aiyuda Uthappa (@robbieuthappa) November 22, 2023

Robin Uthappa himself was a key member of the KKR team that won the title in 2014. The former India batter plied his trade for the franchise for six seasons from 2014 to 2019.

Robin Uthappa’s strong bond with Gautam Gambhir:

Robin Uthappa enjoyed some of his best IPL seasons under the captaincy of Gautam Gambhir. Earlier this year, he stated that he felt alienated at KKR once his former captain left the franchise. He made the revelation after being slammed by KKR fans for supporting Chennai Super Kings.

“So much has been said since last night & I thank you for sharing. However, I have always maintained that my 1st 4 yrs in KKR wen Gauti led was completely diff from my last 2 years and that had a huge impact on my performances. I can assure you it had nothing to do with Captaincy,” Uthappa had said.

“After Gauti was let go, everything changed and i felt alienated. However my love for the fans of KKR was the same and will remain the same forever. I’m forever grateful for their support and I wanna clarify that!! This isn’t about the fans of KKR. I’ll forever love and respect em,” he added.