Kolkata: Gautam Gambhir is back to his base. The former India opener, under whose leadership Kolkata Knight Riders had won the IPL twice in 2012 and 2014, arrived in the city to guide the team in a new avatar.
“I have always mentioned that KKR to me is not just a franchise, but an emotion. I am thus happy to be back,” the KKR mentor said on Thursday evening.
The former India opener, who returned to reunite with KKR after seven long years, was aware of the fans’ expectations.
Gambhir joined the Knights in 2011 and had been with the team till 2017. During that period, KKR qualified for the IPL playoffs five times and also made the final of the now-defunct Champions League T20 in 2014.
“I know there will be expectations and I hope to live up to it and make the fans happy,” he stated while getting accorded a roaring reception at the airport.
Gambhir — who rejoined the purple brigade after a two-year stint with Lucknow Super Giants — felt Australian pacer Mitchell Starc, whom the KKR bought for a whopping sum of Rs 24.75 crore in the last auction, would be the team’s X-factor this time.
“I don’t think the price tag will be an added pressure for Starc. I only hope he can do for KKR what he does for Australia in international cricket,” he said.