KKR vs PBKS: Gautam Gambhir blamed for KKR's misery as Wasim Akram reveals dirty secrets about Indian legend

Former Pakistan cricketer Wasim Akram revealed how the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) struggled to find rooms for Gautam Gambhir. Wasim Akram mentioned Gautam Gambhir's preference for the number nine in his room numbers during his tenure with Kolkata in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Gautam Gambhir captained the Kolkata Knight Riders from 2011 to 2017. The former Indian opener led the KKR team to two IPL championships, in 2012 and 2014. Wasim Akram joined the KKR coaching staff in 2010. The former pacer last worked with the Kolkata-based team in the 2016 season.

The former Indian cricketer shifted to the Delhi Capitals in 2018 and subsequently retired from all formats later that year. The 42-year-old represented the KKR team in 108 matches, scoring 3035 runs at a decent average of 31.61 and a strike rate of 124.28, including 27 half centuries.

Gautam Gambhir Is A Simple - Wasim Akram

Speaking on Sportskeeda Cricket's Match Ki Baat show, Wasim Akram stated that Gautam Gambhir wanted to have the number nine in his room number due to his belief in numerology.

"His image is a little different, but Gautam Gambhir is a simple, straightforward person. He is easy-going, has good sense of humor. He is too straightforward for our culture and very quiet," Akram told Sportskeeda.

"Gautam Gambhir is a fan of numbers. The team management would always have issues while finding rooms for him because he wanted the number 9 involved in some way, like 45 or 36. Like this, the number 9 had to be a part of it in some way. This is a kind of secret which I told here," he added.

Gautam Gambhir previously mentored the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in 2022 and 2023. However, the left-handed batter joined the KKR team as a mentor last year. The Shreyas Iyer-led side is currently in second place in the 10-team table, trailing only behind the Rajasthan Royals (RR).

Gautam Gambhir Led From The Front - Wasim Akram

Wasim Akram praised Gautam Gambhir's leadership qualities and highlighted his ability to lead by example. The veteran bowler stated that Gambhir was the first to arrive for practice. 

"I have spent a lot of time with Gautam. We were together in the panel for Asia Cup as well. I think what I like about Gautam is that, as a leader, as a captain, he led from the front," Akram said.

"We tell it just like that a captain should lead from the front, but what does it mean? It means that Gautam is the first player to report for practice, first to reach the team's bus, takes the team out of pressure situations, and he takes the game deep, fights for his side, not hiding from anywhere."

The two-time IPL champion has won five out of seven matches in the ongoing tournament. The team is likely to reach the playoff stage after failing in the last two seasons. They will next face the Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Friday, April 26.

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