"His spirit will still be there, and he will be backing us" - KKR spinner's massive statement on Gautam Gambhir ahead of IPL 2025

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) spinner Sunil Narine acknowledged former mentor Gautam Gambhir's absence in the proceedings ahead of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The former KKR captain returned to the franchise in 2024 after a five-year gap, playing a massive role in the franchise's third title, before stepping down to join as Team India's head coach.

KKR have appointed former West Indies international Dwayne Bravo as the mentor, while Chandrakant Pandit and Bharat Arun remain in the support staff as head coach and bowling coach, respectively. Gambhir is a huge entity in KKR's history, being in the spotlight in all of Kolkata's three title wins to date.

Narine remarked that he expects Gambhir to back the franchise from the outside despite not holding any official role within the setup.

"Obviously GG has his ways in cricket and has been very successful in the IPL. So, he will be a big miss, but his spirit will still be there, and he will be backing us. Rahane is a very experienced cricketer, he has a big responsibility on him, but he has senior players around him," Narine said during a pre-tournament press conference.

Narine also spoke about KKR's post-title, slump which has been on show across their first two title wins. After winning their inaugural title in the 2012 edition, the franchise had an underwhelming season, finishing seventh in the points table. A similar trend was on show when KKR won in 2014, as they failed to qualify for the playoffs in the 2015 edition by one point.

"I think it is all about how you start, try to get that first win on the board with the first game, and move on from that. Yes, we have struggled the year after winning, but that is just the way life is sometimes. I think we are just going to go out there, give it our best shot, and hopefully we can bring the title again," Narine said.

KKR will be involved in the 2025 IPL season opener against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Saturday, March 22, at Eden Gardens.

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"For me, it will always be the first" - Sunil Narine on his favorite among KKR's three IPL title wins

Sunil Narine, being the only player to be involved in all three of KKR's title wins, was asked about his favorite season in his career. He admitted that the 2012 title triumph, which was also his maiden IPL campaign, holds a special place in his heart.

"For me, it will always be the first. It was my first year in the IPL, I did not know what to expect. The love, and the atmosphere that the IPL has was mind-blowing. Winning three titles is always good, but the first one will always be special," Narine said.

Sunil Narine is third on the list for most appearances made by a player who has only played for a single franchise in the IPL. With 177 appearances to date, he ranks only behind Virat Kohli and Kieron Pollard.