GT vs KKR: Not Virat Kohli's fight!! Gautam Gambhir names the one regret he will always have as a cricketer

Indian cricket team’s star batter Suryakumar Yadav's cricketing journey highlights the importance of finding the right environment and leadership to flourish. Suryakumar’s meteoric rise from being a middle-order batter at the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to a formidable force at the top for the Mumbai Indians (MI) has been just remarkable.

Suryakumar’s remarkable show at the top of the batting order for the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL opened the doors for him to shine in international cricket. Notably, the 33-year-old batter was initially part of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) setup, where he even won the IPL title in 2014.

However, the stylish batter’s journey took a significant turn when he joined MI in 2018 for the second time, having started his career with the same franchise in 2012. Surya was part of the KKR team for four seasons from 2014–2017, and during his stint, he scored 608 runs in 54 matches.

Gautam Gambhir regrets over missing the opportunity with Suryakumar Yadav at KKR

He had scored those runs primarily batting in the lower middle order for KKR in the lucrative T20 league. But Suryakumar’s true potential was unlocked under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy at the MI, and he went on to emerge as one of the most dangerous batters of the modern era.

Meanwhile, amidst Suryakumar’s success with MI in the IPL, former KKR captain and current mentor Gautam Gambhir lamented a missed opportunity. Gambhir expressed regret over not fully recognizing Yadav's potential during their time together at KKR.

The former KKR skipper admitted that he failed to identify Surya’s true capabilities and ideal batting position, saying it is the biggest regret from his captaincy stint with KKR. Gambhir stressed that the KKR team never managed to use Suryakumar to the best of his potential.

Suryakumar Yadav was a team man: Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir was quoted as saying by Sportskeeda: “A leader's role is to identify the best potential and show it to the world. If there is one regret I have in my seven years of captaincy is that me and as a team never managed to use Suryakumar Yadav to the best of his potential. And the reason was down to combinations. You can only play one player at No. 3. And as a leader, you have to think about the other 10 players in the XI as well.

He would have been way more effective at No. 3, but was equally good at No. 7. He was also a team man. Anyone can be a good player, but being a team man is a difficult task. Whether you play him at No. 6 or 7 or bench him, he was always smiling and always ready to perform for the team. That is why we appointed him as the vice-captain.”

KKR has been in red-hot form in the ongoing IPL 2024, and Gambhir’s mentorship has been doing wonders for the two-time champions, becoming the first team to qualify for the playoffs this season. They are currently leading the points table with 18 points from 13 games. KKR will play their final league game against Gujarat Titans (GT) on May 13.