Gautam Gambhir's captaincy had once helped Kolkata Knight Riders carve its own niche with two IPL titles in the last decade and now the self-confessed "tough to handle" guy has once again vowed to bring back smiles in faces of their passionate but somewhat angry fans in days to come.
Turning fortunes of a beleaguered outfit is nothing new for Gambhir, who had taken KKR's charge during the fourth season of IPL in 2011 after the Shah Rukh co-owned team failed to reach the knock-out in first three years. In first year, the team reached knock-outs and then between 2012, 13 and 14, it won two titles.
With KKR's seventh place finishes in the last two seasons, Gambhir's presence is expected to inject fresh vigour and discipline into the squad. It will be interesting to see what kind of bond Gambhir forges with another strong-willed personality in the coaching staff - Chandrakant Pandit.
"Firstly, I want to say one thing -- I'm a very tough guy to handle," the former India opener asserted at the Knights Unplugged event at the team hotel in Kolkata.
Expressing his gratitude, Gambhir stated, "I have to thank SRK (team principal owner Shah Rukh Khan) and Venky bhai (CEO Venky Mysore) who is here as well... They have taken a lot of my tantrums, stubbornness for such a long period of time."
"Kyun ke sach yeh hai ki hum sachchai se ladna jaante hai, hum haar na jaante hai, aur hum jitna bhi jaante hain (Because the truth is that we know how to fight with honesty, we know how to lose, and we know how to win)," he added.
Talking about his initial days with KKR, Gambhir recalled, "He (SRK) only told me the same thing that he had told me when I joined KKR as a player in 2011: 'This is your franchise, make it or break it.'
"He told me exactly the same thing. I don't know what's going to happen, but I can assure you that whenever I leave this place, we will be in a much better position."
For a man, who always is known to wear heart on his sleeve, Gambhir believes that it is KKR that made him successful and not the other way round.
Acknowledging the trust placed in him, Gambhir added, "So, I have to thank the owner and the CEO for trusting me, and hopefully, we can achieve great success because it's the honesty SRK taught me -- honesty, dignity.
"Fans have all the right to be angry with us, to abuse us. We will fight for your joy and bring smiles to your faces.
"Keep supporting us. You have every right to be angry with us. We will ensure that Kolkata will be smiling in the end," Gambhir said.
Importance of the 'Other Sunny'
When Gambhir took over the reins of KKR in 2011, little did he know that how a young 'mystery spinner' from Trinidad and Tobago will become his trump card in coming days.
Gambhir, the captain had been forever indebted to Sunil Narine, who has played only for one franchise throughout his entire career.
The former captain reflected on the journey of Narine, highlighting how the spinner overcame adversity after being reported for a suspect bowling action to become their trump card in their twin triumphs.
"When I talk about sacrifice, this young shy boy comes to mind. He has endured so much in this jersey --reported, banned, yet he keeps coming back and delivering year after year.
"I have witnessed his insecurities, lived through that with him, and watched him evolve into one of the greatest bowlers in IPL history."
