'Everyone called Gambhir a mad man but he proved everyone wrong': How GG'S one move changed KKR

The IPL 2024 turned out to be a huge success for Kolkata Knight Riders. The franchise dominated from the outset and did not settle until they won the whole thing. Despite being relentless during the league stage, KKR saved their best for the last. In the final against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Shreyas Iyer's side produced an unbelievable performance and made it one of the most one-sided finals ever, arguably the most in IPL history. The foundation of KKR's exploits was laid ahead of the start of the season when Gautam Gambhir was recruited as a team mentor. Being the mentor, Gambhir called the shots for KKR and during the auction one of his calls was heavily criticised, but in the end, it proved to be a masterstroke.

Also Read | Abdul Samad thrashed after another failure for SRH

Gautam Gambhir's one call won KKR the trophy

When KKR broke the bank to attain the services of Mitchell Starc for a whopping Rs.24.75 crores, the knowers of the game did not corroborate with Gambhir's decision and called it a bad call. Moreover, as Starc found it difficult to form his footing initially in the season, Gautam Gambhir's decision further came under the scanner. However, the Australian pacer eventually proved he is worth every penny that was spent on him. After an exceptional 4-fer against Sunrises Hyderabad in Qualifier 1, Starc came back to haunt SRH in the final. He bowled a ripper to get rid of Abhishek Sharma in the first over of the final. He then dismissed Rahul Tripathi and put KKR on top in the final. He took out all the purchase that was offered from the Chinnaswamy pitch and gave away just 14 runs in the final.

While there were detractors of Mitchell Starc and Gautam Gambhir earlier in the season, Gambhir's call proved to be monumental as Starc emerged as the match-winner when the team needed it the most.