IPL not my comeback platform: Gautam Gambhir

                     Even before taking guard in IPL-6,Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhirwent on the offensive, rubbishing talk that the Twenty20 league was a platform for the axed Team India opener to push for a comeback in the national team.

"I don't play here as an individual, but for a team called KKR. I am a part of a team which are the defending champions... I don't see IPL as my comeback platform," Gambhir said on Tuesday, the eve of KKR's opening encounter against Delhi Daredevils at Eden Gardens.

The skipper doesn't think there will be extra pressure on the side for being defending champions.

"Being defending champions doesn't mean pressure (on the team), rather it gives you more confidence. We have got the monkey off the back because in the previous four years it was said that KKR were more popular off the field, but after winning the championship, we have proved that we can play good cricket as well," he reasoned. Looking ahead to the sixth edition of the tournament, Gambhir felt the confidence gained from IPL-5 will help the team "play some fearless cricket this time."

The skipper was not ready to talk about any particular individual, but saw the team as a unit. New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman Brendon McCullum's absence in the first match, thus, doesn't worry him. "We've got a lot of quality in the dressing room to fill in any gap. Now is the time to go out there and step up to the opportunity." Asked about Yusuf Pathan's poor run last season, Gambhir said, "Everyone has to fire, not only he."

The skipper is aware that his trump card, West Indian 'mystery' spinner Sunil Narine, has to be used judiciously. "It's all about strategy and deciding when is the right time to bring on someone. And it's not only about Narine, bowlers like Jacques Kallis and Balaji are all ready for the challenge," Gambhir said.

IPL OPENING CEREMONY PICS

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Pepsi IPL 2013 begins with a starry, starry night

A grand and glittering opening ceremony heralded the start of the Pepsi IPL 2013 in style at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium. The venue resembled a star-studded galaxy with embellished lightings, the world’s cricket stars and performing entertainers. 

Renowned artists from the entertainment industry, the likes of international rapper Pitbull and Bollywood actor and co-owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders, Shah Rukh Khan, along with Katrina Kaif and Deepika Padukone owned the stage and held sway over the packed audience. Besides the celebrities performing, the stage was also set on fire by flying drummers, Chinese percussionists and breathtaking fireworks.

Amid all the glitz and glamour cricket held its limelight in a suave and dignified way. The captains of the nine teams participating in IPL 2013 took centre stage when they joined hands to pledge adherence to the belief, ‘Play hard, Play fair’ by signing on the MCC Spirit of Cricket board. Former India cricketer and current commentator, Ravi Shastri administered the oath.

The moment that surprised and stunned close to 45,000 people present at the stadium came just before the captains signed the MCC Spirit of Cricket oath. A girl clad in white appeared over the arena, swinging a bunch of colourful balloons, carrying the Pepsi IPL 2013 Trophy. She stopped at the centre and handed over the trophy to the captain of the current holders, Gautam Gambhir.

Salt Lake Stadium, one of the biggest football arenas in Asia, was packed and alive with the noise of passionate fans. The people of Kolkata reserved the loudest cheers for their adopted son and captain of KKR, Gautam Gambhir and team owner, SRK.

The Bollywood superstar began his performance by thanking the West Bengal chief minister, Mamata Bannerjee, BCCI President, N Srinivasan, IPL Chairman, Rajeev Shukla and IPL COO, Sundar Raman for their presence at the event.

He then set the arena on a foot-tapping mode by dancing to a few hit numbers from his movies. He also displayed some of his moves to the tune of well known Bengal musicians, Bappi Lahiri and Usha Uthup.

The last performance of the day was from Pitbull, who engaged the crowd and started a party. The Pitbull show lasted well into the evening after the Opening Nite was over.

Those who attended the event, it was an evening that culminated with tired feet, sore throats and memories of an unforgettable time at Salt Lake Stadium! 

Was a dream tournament for me: Narine

Sunil Narine came into IPL 2012 as a mystery. At the end of it, he remains so to most batsmen in the world. An enigma from the Caribbean, Narine was spotted in the 2011 CLT20 when he bamboozled many a batsman with his knuckle ball. The Kolkata Knight Riders bid high on him at the 2012 IPL Players’ Auction; and as it turned out, it was the wisest USD 700,000 spent this year by any IPL team.

The off-spinner from Trinidad & Tobago weaved his magic in IPL 2012 with 24 wickets – one less than Purple Cap winner, Morne Morkel. With an economy rate of 5.47, Narine now tops the list of the stingiest bowlers in the five-year-old tournament.

Although he failed to pick a wicket in the final and win the Purple Cap, Narine cherished making a vital contribution to the Knight Riders maiden title win. The soft-spoken offie spoke to iplt20.comafter KKR’s victory in the final against the Chennai Super Kings.

Is it a dream tournament for you?

Yeah, it is a dream tournament, and the way the guys performed today was magnificent.

Are you happy with your efforts?

I am happy with my effort, and all the 16-17 players have given a huge effort.

What was the talk in the dressing room ahead of this final?

Guys were keen for it and up for it. So, I think it was a great team effort in doing that.

How is Gautam Gambhir as a captain?

He does not put any pressure on the players. He let the guys do what they are accustomed to. If a batsman is attacking by nature, he can hit the ball, no matter what the situation is. He is a good captain and all he asks for is go there and give your best.

What was going in your mind when there were 190 runs to chase?

It was a bit challenging, but we had the batsmen in the hunt to do that; and they did it.

Cracker on cards after sizzling night

What

After all the razzmatazz of the opening ceremony, it is time for fireworks on the field. It is the opening game of the Pepsi IPL 2013 and features defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders and the Delhi Daredevils.

The Knight Riders were a daunting outfit under Gautam Gambhir last season, besting then defending champions Chennai Super Kings, who were favourites, in their own backyard in the title clash. They begin this season as firm favourites, given the fact that they have retained the core of the team that did duty for them last season.

The Delhi Daredevils on the other hand have been among the consistent performers in the history of the IPL, finishing in the top four in three off the five seasons that have been played out. They will be hoping to put in that extra bit to get above and will certainly look to lay their hands on the beautiful trophy at the end of the competition.

When

Wednesday, March 3, 2013, 8 p.m

Where

Eden Gardens, Kolkata

The Protagonists

For Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, there is more at stake than just helping their teams win the IPL. Both players, who combined together to form India’s most successful opening pair (in terms of runs), will want to prove to themselves and to the men who matter that there is still a lot of cricket left in them. Gautam Gambhir led by example in his team’s run-up to the title last season and he will be keen for a repeat of that performance.

Virender Sehwag, recovering from back spasms, will be playing without the burden of captaincy and he will want to get back to being the devastating batsman the world knows him to be.

There are several other players to look out for. In the Delhi Daredevils line-up, look out for the young Unmukt Chand who recently scored consecutive centuries in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 competition and also Umesh Yadav who announced his return to competitive cricket with a five-wicket haul in the same tournament.

In the Knight Riders line-up, keep your eyes trained on the ever-reliable Jacques Kallis and the dangerous Yusuf Pathan. Kallis, who has looked rusty recently, will want to hit the straps immediately while Yusuf Pathan will want to add consistency to his game in addition to carrying the reputation of being a match-winner.

Previous Meetings

The Kolkata Knight Riders and the Delhi Daredevils have so far met on nine occasions, with the former having a slight edge with five wins. In the last battle between the two, it was the Knight Riders who get the better of the Daredevils in the Play-Off match in IPL 2012.

Trivia

The Kolkata Knight Riders will be keen to improve on their home record from last season. Gambhir’s team won nine of their ten away fixtures in 2012, but only managed to win three off the seven matches in their backyard.

David Warner will have fond memories of playing against the Kolkata Knight Riders, for it was against them that he scored his maiden IPL century.

What Next

Both teams will square off against the Rajasthan Royals in their next fixtures. The Delhi Daredevils will play host to Rahul Dravid’s team on April 6 while the Kolkata Knight Riders will line-up against the Royals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on April 8.

Gautam’s the finest captain: SRK

KKR co-owner lauds skipper Gambhir’s ability to get the best out of his players

After four years of disappointments, Kolkata Knight Riders’ co-owner Shah Rukh Khan finally tasted the sweet taste of victory. His team clinched the title against the Chennai Super Kingsunder thrilling circumstances and ensured that the franchise’s trophy cabinet got a noteworthy centrepiece. The Bollywood icon was at his motivating best in the stands; and once Manoj Tiwaryhit the winning runs, there was delirium in the KKR camp. The joy of winning the IPL is unparalleled and King Khan experienced the feeling that he’d been craving for a while.

During a brief chat after the match, SRK revealed to iplt20.com that he considers Gautam Gambhir the best captain in the world.

Excerpts:

How does it feel to be the owner of the IPL champions?

I don’t feel like the owner. We were the promoters who started this team and I always wanted our city, Kolkata, to feel that they are the owners and we are the employees of the city. I am really sorry to say that Juhi [Chawla], Jay [Mehta], Gauri [Khan] and I end up being the owners of KKR. From tonight, KKR is owned by Kolkata. So, please look after it and give it a lot of love because we have nurtured it with a lot of care and happiness.

What were you going through in the end stages?

I prayed to Allah and all the farishteys of Allah. I said, “Please make this happen as it’s been a long time.” I understand that it’s a sport, but I need to do this for my children and all the people who love me and for all of them who believed in KKR. We have had some good times, some bad times and controversies; we have been able to rise above all that. We had to prove it to the world and to us actually and to our children mainly, my son Aryan, my daughter Suhana, Jhanvi and Arjun. If you are resilient and if you believe and if you have a dream, it will come true.

Your faith in youngsters has finally borne fruit through Manvinder Bisla

The team is completely run by Gautam and Trevor [Bayliss]. These guys know cricket, and we guys come and pray and give them a lot of love. I don’t know much about cricket, so we just go by the decisions they make. We have never participated in the cricket part of it, be it in a positive or a negative way. Gautam runs the cricket and we just hope that the youngsters do well.

Is Gautam Gabmhir the perfect captain for KKR?

I am not questioning any of the captains in the IPL, I love [MS] Dhoni, Harbhajan [Singh] and Sachin [Tendulkar], and they all are friends and they love me. But as I have seen Gautam so up close and I have been in a profession which requires quick decisions and toughness, I really do believe that Gautam is the finest captain I have seen in recent times. 

No pressure to perform being defending champions: Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir might be out of form and out of favour in the Indian whites. But when Gambhir dons that IPL jersey, Kolkata Knight Riders is what holds utmost importance. When asked if he would take this IPL as a perfect platform to make a comeback into the national side, Gambhir was quick to respond. 
“I see this IPL as being the defending champions. I do not talk about individuals and do not play for individuals. I play for a team called KKR and I would like to focus on that and not more than that.”

The Knight Riders clichéd their maiden IPL title last year in Chennai, defeating the hosts ad then defending champions. Gambhir also said that the team, being defending champions won’t be under any kind of pressure to perform. “The tag of defending champions will give us more confidence than pressure. We have got the monkey off our backs winning the IPL title last year and we have shown that we can play good cricket on the field. It is now time that we play some fearless cricket.”

Like their opponents, Delhi Daredevils, KKR too will be missing out on their hard hitting opener, Brendon McCullum. So is the opening slot a cause of concern and does it miss out on quality?

“Not at all! We have a lot of quality in the dressing room, and it only gives lots of opportunities for others in the side to do something better for the team. Hope we all step up to the occasion and someone can end up being the match winner tomorrow.”

Delhi will be missing out on their key fast bowler in Morne Morkel, and when asked if that could play as an advantage for the Knights, the captain said, “Look we don’t think about individuals. It doesn’t matter if XYZ from the other camp is playing or not. It is a game of cricket and you do not think about any particular individual. You go out there to compete a game against an entire team. We just want to go out there and play a good game of cricket.”

The captain also refused to give much importance to the Eden pitch but hoped that they started the tournament on a high. “I think we have all the bases covered and we do not believe in talking about wickets. We are ready to play well in any kind of surface and anywhere. We just want to go out there and play quality cricket and play to our potential and see how it goes. Hopefully the new pitch will be lucky for us.”

Brett Lee doubles up as bowler and bowling mentor this season in the absence of Wasim Akram. KKR coach Trevor Bayliss was satisfied with the speedster’s role in the team.

“Brett Lee has done a good job so far. We have been together in three or four practices and he has played a good role. He has done some good work with the pace bowlers and I am sure we will benefit from his experience in this IPL.”

The captain added that the team was upbeat and ready for the challenge and was eagerly looking forward to their first game on Wednesday.
Saying, “The players are ready. Most of the players were playing T20 tournaments. They have been going through a lot of training sessions. They are fresh and the most important thing is they need to come all prepared tomorrow. I can say the team is ready for the challenge tomorrow,” Gambhir signed off. 

Kolkata Knight Riders Launch New Campaign

The Kolkata Knight Riders launched their new brand campaign - 'One Team. One Pledge.'  for the 2013 IPL season. The vibrant new visual campaign builds on the KKR anthem, 'Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo.'
Venky Mysore, CEO  & MD of KKR said "We are excited about the upcoming season and I believe that one of the most important reasons for the success of KKR is that everyone believes in the "TEAM KKR" concept - No individual is bigger than the team. Our new theme - "One Team. One Pledge." is consistent with this philosophy as well as KKR’s continued commitment to the promise of ‘Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo.’
The new design makes extensive use of typography, and will feature across KKR’s advertising, media, outdoor and indoor branding.

The Skipper The Squad

Time for some serious cricket at the Eden Gardens. Gautam came in from Baroda straight after attending Yusuf Pathan’s reception and was raring to go in the nets.

He was joined by Debabrata Das and Laxmi Ratan Shukla, both of whom were fresh from their Mushtaq Ali campaign – and looked fit and in form.

Yet another addition to our coaching staff, Trevor Penney joined the squad as fielding coach and almost immediately made a difference to the intensity of the sessions. 

Earlier, lots of coordination and planning went into an elaborate operation where Brett Lee actually visited the house of a KKR contest winner. Watch out for the details – and check out the amazing video of that surprise visit at http://youtu.be/bhYMZldiehk

The Knights Are Back..

 After a glorious campaign last season that saw our Knights being crowned the champions of IPL 2012, we now prepare to kick off the sixth edition of the tournament on home ground. As the reigning champions, we have earned the privilege of hosting the opening ceremony and the first match of IPL 2013.
After turning up in huge numbers for the spectacular victory parade through the streets of Kolkata that brought the entire city together, our loyal fans will now get the opportunity to welcome the new season in their own inimitable style. The opening ceremony promises to be a star studded affair hosted at the Salt Lake stadium in Kolkata on April 2^nd. The event, organised by Red Chillies Entertainments Pvt Ltd, comes to Kolkata for the first time and the City of Joy has already begun to prepare itself for the excitement and buzz that is headed its way.
The ceremonies then give way to the real stars of the show, and on April 3^rd, the fans will head to the Eden Gardens stadium to watch the Knights battle the Delhi Daredevils in the opening game of season six of the IPL. Our home ground will be packed to the rafters as our fans get set to cheer their Knights on to a winning start. Get your tickets now and prepare yourself for all the intense T20 action that is headed your way.
The stage is set. It's time for 'Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo!'