Kolkata: As a curtain came down for Dwayne Bravo, another went up almost immediately.
As the West Indies legend bid goodbye to cricket as a player, he smoothly transitioned into a mentor. IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) announced on Friday that Bravo has joined the franchise as the mentor, stepping into Gautam Gambhir’s shoes, a day after he declared himself retired from all forms of the game as an active player.
Having already retired from international cricket and also the IPL in 2021, Bravo was into his last last season in the Caribbean Premier League, when a groin injury laid him low. With little chance of playing a role further in the ongoing CPL, Bravo announced his decision to quit on Thursday. “Today is the day I say goodbye to the game that has given me everything,” he wrote on the social media. “My mind wants to keep going, but my body can no longer endure the pain, the breakdowns, and the strain. I can’t put myself in a position where I might let down my teammates, my fans, or the teams I represent.”
Along with KKR, Bravo will be at helm all the sister franchises under the Knight Riders banner. However, it will be in the IPL where he will be in the brightest glare. In the process, he also ended his long association with Chennai Super Kings, with whom he won three IPL titles and was the bowling coach in 2023.
At KKR, he will indeed have quite big shoes to fill, as Gambhir had not only mentored KKR to their third IPL crown, but has since taken charge of Team India as the head coach.
“I’ve been part of the Trinbago Knight Riders for the last 10 years in the CPL. Having played for and against the Knight Riders in various leagues, I have a lot of respect for how they operate,” Bravo said in a statement put out by KKR. “The owners’ passion, the professionalism of the management, and the family-like environment make it a special place.”
A typical Trinidadian, Bravo, who turns 41 next month, is someone who enjoys his game and expects others to do so. He spoke of “boss” Shah Rukh Khan, with whom he has had a chat. “We are going to enjoy, we are going to party and we are going to win,” Bravo in his message to fans. At KKR, he joins fellow West Indians Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, two vital cogs in the wheel of the team.
The nurturing role is not new to Bravo. Apart from his stint in the coaching staff of CSK, he has worked with Afghanistan as a mentor. “This is the perfect platform for me as I transition from playing to mentoring and coaching the next generation of players,” Bravo said in the statement.