Kolkata Knight Riders are two-time IPL champions, both of which came under Gautam Gambhir. KKR will start their IPL 2024 campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 23.
Kolkata: Fearlessness on the field and the right kind of attitude would be required to end a 10-year title drought for Kolkata Knight Riders in the upcoming season of Indian Premier League, felt comeback man Manish Pandey. The India batter played for KKR from 2013 to 2017, thus winning the IPL once with the side in 2014. Coming back to Kolkata after six long years, Pandey sounded excited but at the same time felt confident about bringing the glorious days back under the mentorship of Gautam Gambhir and head coach Chandrakanth Pandit.
After having a pre-season training camp in Mumbai for the past couple of weeks, the KKR players and support staff had their first training session at Eden Gardens on Friday. While the local players have all come in, Phil Salt is the only overseas star to arrive. Captain Shreyas Iyer is yet to arrive too.
“2014 was a year where KKR did start well. We did lost a few games in the middle and then we won I think seven to eight games to eventually win the championship. There was a fire back then that was needed and we got reunited and came back as team,” Pandey said on Friday at KKR’s first press conference of the season.
“Sometimes it luck, but I think more than luck, it’s the kind of attitude everybody gets on the field on the given day. That was really good batch for us as a team, everybody was chipping in. Getting that attitude of the field, that fearlessness on the field would be great and if you are able to do that, all 11 players collectively, we should be able to take this team to the knockouts first and then to the title,” he replied, when asked what is needed to end the a decade-long trophy drought.
Gambhir, A Big Addition To KKR
Pandey, who has played 29 ODIs and 39 T20Is for India, spoke highly of Gambhir rejoining the side after a long time. In fact, KKR’s major success came under Gambhir between 2011 and 2017. Under his leadership, KKR won the title in 2012 and 2014, qualified for the playoffs five times, and reached the finals of the now-defunct Champions League T20 in 2014.
Starting the season right way 🙏🌸 pic.twitter.com/BNZIvLEugm
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) March 15, 2024
“Gauti bhai has done wonders for KKR as a franchise. We have always had a great leader in him when he was playing and now him, coming back as a mentor, obviously you know is the same thing. I am really happy that he is going to take a lot of important calls,” he added.
Asked about his own role and the competition in the team, Pandey said, “The team meeting was really good. I am pumped up by how Gauti bhai an Chandu sir took over it. A lot of young players have come in and it will be a new start for me. The kind of role they will give me, if I have an opportunity and when I have it, I am ready to grab it with both hands.
“To be back at KKR after six years, 2017 was the time we played in, it feels home because this franchise has given me a lot. With Gauti bhai coming back as a mentor is also very very special. We haven’t had a lot of chats since today was the first day of practice. Hopefully, before the first game, we will have a lot of clarity on our roles.”
Asked about Iyer’s date of joining, Pandey said the skipper has got his clearance from the National Cricket Academy. “We have played a lot of games together for India and India A. We have a good chemistry. I am hoping that after he gets his clearance from NCA, which he did, he will come back as soon as possible. It will be a good and a new experience for me to play under Shreyas and hoping that he holds the whole team together which he did,” concluded Pandey.