May 28 (Punjab Khabarnama) : When Kolkata Knight Riders won the IPL in 2012 and then again in 2014, it was believed that they would be the team to challenge Chennai Super Kings’ dominance. With two titles in three seasons, KKR were supposed to be the next big thing in the IPL. But instead, they became just another team as CSK and Mumbai Indians raced to five trophies each, while KKR languished at two. The closest they came was in IPL 2021, when they reached the final but lost to CSK in the summit clash. The following two seasons – 2022 and 2023 – were forgettable as KKR failed to reach the Playoffs.
Something had to give. A change of fortunes was needed, which Gautam Gambhir brought to the franchise when he reunited with the team he took to great heights after 10 years. With Gambhir back – this time as a mentor – and under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer and the coaching of Chandrakant Pandit, KKR looked like the team of old. Aggressive, determined and with a point to prove. And his dream return capped off with the team winning a third IPL title, ending his, KKR and Shah Rukh Khan’s agonisingly long wait.
Nitish Rana, among many others, was over the moon when in September of last year, Gambhir’s return to KKR was confirmed. After KKR defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets in Sunday’s IPL 2024 final, Rana had briefly touched upon his chat with Gambhir, but on Tuesday, the former Knight Riders captain took a screenshot of GG’s text and shared it across his social media handles for everyone to consume.
While Rana’s message was cropped out, Gambhir’s text read: “Thanks Nitish for this message. This means a lot. Let’s create something special. There is no better feeling in sport [than] to stand on a podium and win a trophy. Let’s experience that.”
What Rana said about Gambhir after IPL final
Rana, one of the many happy faces in the KKR dugout after winning the trophy had revealed a small part of GG’s text, but mentioned that it was something he would remember for the rest of his life.
“I would like to share a small story. When GG bhaiyya was signed as a mentor, I had congratulated him on WhatsApp and I still remember it clearly. I had written a lot, including telling him that I was happy to see him, and he told me ‘You and all of us would be happier when we stand on that podium and hold the trophy’. Today is the day when it has come true. I will never forget that message,” Rana told the broadcaster, unable to control his happiness.
With Iyer out with a back injury, Rana was the KKR captain last year, but the team had finished seventh on the IPL points table. Rana has been with the franchise since 2018, scoring 1199 runs from 47 matches. Surprisingly enough though, he played just 2 matches this season.