Not MS Dhoni or Sachin Tendulkar! Gautam Gambhir names KKR coach as greatest team-man

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) mentor Gautam Gambhir showered praise on former Netherlands cricketer Ryan ten Doeschate ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Gautam Gambhir termed Ryan ten Doeschate as the greatest teamman he has ever played with.

Ryan ten Doeschate was the first associate player to secure an IPL contract. Doeschate joined the Knight Riders in 2011 and remained with the franchise until 2015. He scored 326 runs and claimed two wickets in 29 matches for the Kolkata team in the tournament.

Taught Me To Be A Leader – Gautam Gambhir

Speaking at the KKR jersey launch event for IPL 2024, Gautam Gambhir recounted a moment from 2011, where Ryan ten Doeschate remained supportive despite not being part of the XI. Gambhir said that they had only picked three overseas players in the lineup.

“When I talk about selflessness, the greatest team man I have ever played with, the most selfless human being, someone I can take a bullet for, someone I can trust for life… In 2011, my first game as a KKR captain, we only had four overseas players available. This man had a fabulous 50-over World Cup,” Gambhir said.

“We went into that game with only three overseas players. He was carrying drinks in that game with no disappointment on his face. He taught me selflessness – Ryan ten Doeschate. These are people who taught me to be a leader,” he added.

In November 2022, Ten Doeschate was appointed as the fielding coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise, marking his transition into a coaching role. The former Netherlands all-rounder will maintain his position as the fielding coach of KKR in the IPL 2024.

Doeschate concluded his international cricket career in October 2021, following the Netherlands’ exit from the 2021 T20 World Cup qualifiers. He scored 1,541 runs in 33 ODIs and 533 runs in 24 T20Is. He managed to secure 78 wickets across both formats of the game.

KKR Made A Successful Leader – Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir praised Andre Russell and Sunil Narine for their influence on him. He credited Russell for teaching him essential leadership qualities. He highlighted Russell’s dedication and selflessness on the field as invaluable lessons in leadership.

“I did not make KKR successful. It was KKR that made me a successful leader. KKR for me was never about purple and gold and that two stars which you see on the jersey. It was far more beyond that. First, KKR meant passion, KKR meant honesty, it meant sacrifice and selflessness,” Gambhir further stated.

“There is this young man, who had put his body on the line every time he’s gone on to the cricket field and wore this jersey – Dre Russ [Andre Russell]. He taught me a lot of things as a leader,” he added.

Gambhir joined KKR in 2011 and transformed the IPL franchise’s fortunes. He amassed 4218 runs in 154 IPL matches at an average of 31.01, featuring 36 half-centuries. He moved to the Delhi Capitals in 2018 before retiring from all cricket formats later that year.

The Shreyas Iyer-led squad will commence their IPL 2024 journey with a match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday, March 23.

Also read: Not Shreyas Iyer! Gautam Gambhir names X-factor for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2024