Prior to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, Dwayne Bravo, the recently hired coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), disclosed that he sought advice and views from his predecessor Gautam Gambhir.
Dwayne Bravo takes over replacing Gambhir, who served as mentor to KKR until taking over as India’s head coach in 2024, when they won their third IPL championship.
Dwayne Bravo, who has the power to keep KKR winning, emphasized Gambhir’s influence and acknowledged that he gets motivation from people who have been there before. The former Caribbean cricket player noted that although he approaches the game in a different way, he appreciates the effective tactics and insights that the current India head coach developed and put into practice during the last campaign.
“I have my own style, and GG has his. Each of us achieves success in our own unique ways. I will keep building on the excellent work he has left behind, and I messaged him a few times to ask some questions. Ignoring the things he performed well the previous season would be disrespectful. However, the team’s core is still in place, and I will still rely on them,” Bravo stated, as reported by India Today.
In addition, KKR has a new captain in Ajinkya Rahane after Shreyas Iyer decided to bid in the auction. The Punjab Kings later purchased Iyer for an incredible, record-breaking INR 26.5 crore. The current winners, who have nominated Venkatesh Iyer as their deputy, will now want Rahane to keep the team’s trophy.
Having led India in all three formats and the Rajasthan Royals in the 2018 and 2019 IPL seasons, Rahane, who was a member of the Kolkata-based team in 2022, has a wealth of leadership exposure and expertise. With a formidable team that includes players like Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, and Sunil Narine, among others, KKR is intent on replicating their success from the previous season.
The club has already started preparing for the 2025 Indian Premier League, and on March 22, they will play Royal Challengers Bengaluru at their stronghold, Eden Gardens.
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