KKR vs SRH: "His strategy is spot on..." - Shreyas Iyer credits Gautam Gambhir for KKR's success in IPL 2024

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Shreyas Iyer has credited mentor Gautam Gambhir for the team's success in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. Shreyas Iyer praised Gautam Gambhir for his strategic support in the tournament, highlighting his title victories as captain in the IPL.

The Kolkata Knight Riders appointed Gautam Gambhir as their mentor ahead of the IPL 2024. Gambhir played a significant role in the Knight Riders finishing as table-toppers with nine wins out of 14 games after the league stage. Notably, the Kolkata team failed to advance to the playoffs in the last two editions.

The Shreyas Iyer-led team continued their dominance in the playoff stage. The KKR team defeated SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) by eight wickets in "Qualifier 1" at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on May 21. They advanced to the final match for the fourth time in the history of the tournament.

The Kolkata Knight Riders won two titles in the 2012 and 2014 seasons. It is worth mentioning that Gautam Gambhir was the captain during those winning campaigns. The team last reached the final match during the 2021 edition. However, they failed to secure the title against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

The Hype Is Created By You - Shreyas Iyer

Speaking ahead of the final match against the Pat Cummins-led team, Shreyas Iyer hoped that they would continue the momentum in the final as well to clinch their third IPL title. Shreyas stated that Gautam Gambhir has immense knowledge and added that his strategy is spot on.

"The hype is created by you guys. Where I stand is totally upon you. Gautam Bhai has immense knowledge and has won two titles and his strategy is spot on. He adds a lot of cream. Hopefully, we will continue the momentum in the final as well," Shreyas told reporters.

After missing the 2023 season due to injury, Shreyas Iyer returned as KKR's captain for IPL 2024. The right-handed batter has scored 345 runs in 13 matches at an average of 38.33 and a strike rate of 146.18. The middle-order batter is the third-highest run-getter for KKR in the ongoing tournament.

Was Struggling After The World Cup - Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer mentioned that he faced challenges with his form in the longer format after the World Cup. The 29-year-old batter stated that he aimed to perform at his best as the IPL approached.

"I was struggling after the World Cup in longer format. When I raised my concern nobody was agreeing to it. When IPL approached, I wanted to put my best foot forward. We wanted to execute our plans and we would have been in a great position and that is where we are now," Shreyas added.

Kolkata Knight Riders Predicted Playing XII: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer (c), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Nitish Rana

Also read: KKR vs SRH: Pat Cummins reveals the strategist behind Shahbaz Ahmed's inclusion in 'Qualifier 2'