“There’s Only One Thing I Would Change in My Seven Years as Captain,” Gautam Gambhir says KKR didn’t get the most out of the Indian superstar

During his tenure, Gautam Gambhir led the Kolkata Knight Riders to two IPL wins, capping a great time for the team. Returning to KKR for the 2024 Indian Premier League, Gambhir has quickly established himself as a mentor. The team’s top-two finish guarantees them two chances to compete for the championship.

Under new skipper Shreyas Iyer, KKR is playing at a very high level in all areas and is hitting all of its targets. After winning nine of their first 13 games of the season, they are the first club to secure a postseason spot.

Although Gambhir, who is now employed by KKR as a backroom staff member, may have made a lasting impact while serving as captain, he also had a rare setback as a leader during that period.

The world’s top-ranked T20I hitter, Suryakumar Yadav, was a member of the KKR team for up to four seasons, but he was never able to reach his full potential. Gambhir said it was his lone regret as captain and accepted full responsibility for it.

Finding and showcasing the greatest potential is the responsibility of a leader. In my seven years as captain, if there’s one thing I regret, it’s that neither I nor the squad was able to fully use Suryakumar Yadav,” Gambhir told Sportskeeda.

“And combinations were the cause.” At No. 3, you may only play one person. As a leader, you also need to consider the other ten players in the starting lineup. Although he was just as excellent at No. 7, he would have been much more productive at No. 3, he continued.

Suryakumar joined the Mumbai Indians for the IPL, although he was only able to participate in one match before being cut. He was signed by KKR before the 2014 Indian Premier League; however, in 54 games across four seasons, he scored only 608 runs.

On the other hand, Suryakumar scored 605 runs in 16 games during the previous season.

Suryakumar never complained, according to Gambhir, even though he was not allowed to bat in the top order. He was a team player as well. A good player may be anybody, but becoming a team player takes skill. Playing him at No. 6 or 7 or benching him, he was constantly grinning and eager to contribute to the squad. For this reason, we named him vice captain,” said Gambhir.