Not Shreyas Iyer or Nitish Rana!! Manvinder Bisla lauds this player for KKR's success

Former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) player Manvinder Bisla has hailed KKR mentor Gautam Gambhir for leading the team to twin glories during his stint as KKR skipper. Manvinder Bisla said that Gautam Gambhir deserves huge credit for driving the franchise to two IPL trophies.

Kolkata Knight Riders won the IPL titles in the 2012 and 2014 seasons under skipper Gautam Gambhir. Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Chennai Super Kings in the final of the 2012 season to clinch the title. In the 2014 season, Gambhir & Co. outplayed Punjab Kings in the final to steal their second IPL trophy.

Notably, Kolkata Knight Riders have only won two IPL titles so far and both of them came under the leadership of Gambhir. In the last season, they failed to reach the playoffs. The current team is led by Shreyas Iyer.

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We won the title twice when Gautam Gambhir was captain: Manvinder Bisla

During a chat with Outlook, former KKR star Manvinder Bisla credited Gautam Gambhir for KKR’s success under his regime. Manvinder Bisla noted that he played for the side in four seasons and KKR won titles twice in those years.

“I was in KKR for 4 years and we won the title twice when he was the captain. Gautam Gambhir deserves a huge credit for that. The way he managed the team at that time was commendable and I think it’s a positive step from KKR”, the former right-handed batter said.

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Bringing back Gautam Gambhir in the mentorship role is a good step: Bisla

KKR has brought back Gautam Gambhir into their squad as the mentor of the team in IPL 2024. According to Bisla, it is a very good step.

“Bringing back Gautam Gambhir in the mentorship role is a good step as the team has achieved the highest success under his leadership”, the 39-year-old further added.

Manvinder Bisla is a forgotten KKR hero, who played a stunning knock in IPL 2012 final to propel the team to victory. In the IPL 2012 final against Chennai Super Kings, KKR had to chase down 191. Opener Manvinder Bisla led the attack from the front.

After the team lost the most crucial batter Gambhir cheaply for 2 runs, Bisla stormed a blistering knock of 89 runs off 48 balls to drive the team to victory. KKR chased down the target in the final over by 5 wickets to script history with their first-ever IPL trophy.

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KKR chased down 200 in IPL 2014 final

Later in the IPL 2014 final, KKR showcased another impeccable effort during a chase. Facing Punjab Kings in the final, the Gautam Gambhir-led KKR chased down a mountainous 200-run target by 3 wickets in a thrilling clash. Manish Pandey emerged as a hero this time with 94 runs off 50 deliveries.

Meanwhile, with Gambhir back in their squad as a mentor, KKR will eye their third trophy in IPL 2024. Last year, the team showcased a dismal show by winning 6 games and losing 8 out of 14. They finished in the 7th spot in the points table and could not qualify for playoffs.