"I never thought Gautam Gambhir left us" - Shah Rukh Khan's heartfelt statement on IPL 2024 homecoming

Current Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir has had a long and special relationship with Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Renowned Bollywood actor and KKR owner Shah Rukh Khan recently expressed his thoughts on Gambhir with a heartfelt statement.

Speaking on JioHotstar, the Bollywood star said he believed Gautam Gambhir never left KKR. Gambhir led the team from 2011 to 2017 before moving to the Delhi Capitals.

However, the former cricketer returned to KKR as a mentor for the IPL 2024 season and won the championship again. Shah Rukh Khan added that it was a 'big homecoming' for Gambhir.

“I never thought Gautam Gambhir left us. There has always been a lovely relationship with Gautam over the years. There are a few players with whom friendships remain strong, and Gautam Gambhir is one of them. For him, it was a big homecoming," he said.

In the same conversation, former India and KKR star Robin Uthappa shed light on how KKR struggled after Gambhir left the team. He said there was a loss of direction and panic set in after a point.

“When Gautam was no longer with KKR, it felt like—where are the pieces going to settle? Since his exit, there was a slight loss of direction. I think, at one point, panic set in. From the outside, you could sense that things weren’t as smooth as they seemed. You always expect KKR to perform at a high level, and when the performances didn’t match the team’s aura, it became evident that something had to change," he reflected.

Uthappa also recalled how he felt when he heard that Gambhir was returning to KKR as a mentor ahead of the IPL 2024 season.

"As soon as I heard that Gautam Gambhir was coming back, I remember tweeting that the best thing to happen to KKR since Gautam Gambhir leaving, was Gautam Gambhir coming back!," he added.

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Gautam Gambhir's impact on KKR

Gautam Gambhir came into KKR during the 2011 season and took over as captain of the side as well. Just a year later in 2012, Kolkata won their first-ever IPL title under his captaincy.

They regained their glory when they won the title for the second time in 2014 with Gambhir at the helm. They became one of the most successful teams in the tournament.

While they did struggle after Gambhir's departure post the 2017 season, they saw a turnaround as soon as he returned to the team in 2024, this time as a mentor. KKR went on to beat the SunRisers Hyderabad in the final and won their third title, the second most by any team after CSK and MI.