“Make it or break it. This is your franchise.”
That’s what Kolkata Knight Riders principal owner Shah Rukh Khan told Gautam Gambhir once the former captain was about to take up the team mentor’s role.
At a discussion that also featured KKR captain Shreyas Iyer and head coach Chandrakant Pandit during ‘Knights Unplugged’ at a city hotel on Monday, Gambhir said: “I’m a very tough guy to handle, so I thank Venky (Mysore) Sir and SRK for putting up with my stubbornness.
“SRK had told me, ‘this is your franchise. Make it or break it.’ He taught me honesty, dignity and being fair to everyone. When I leave, I believe the franchise will be in an even better place.”
Gambhir, GG to teammates, felt it was KKR that made him a successful leader. “KKR was never about purple and gold. Much more than that. It’s about passion, honesty, sacrifice and selflessness.
“When the foundation itself is about such strong principles, KKR can never be wrong,” Gambhir, who led the Knights to the title in 2012 and 2014, said.
The onus will also be on Shreyas to come up with his share of contributions for
the Knight Riders to have a successful season after finishing seventh last year. The team environment though seems to be keeping the skipper in a better mindset.
“Some of the players we have in our team are match-winners in their own way. They have proved it also in the past. Their immense experience matters a lot. It’s a fantastic opportunity for me to lead such a brilliant squad and hope we go all guns blazing. Fingers crossed, we will win the trophy,” Shreyas said.
