Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) coach Gautam Gambhir gives his honest opinion on the spirit of cricket debate in a conversation with former India teammate R Ashwin in a video on his YouTube channel. said.
New Delhi: Gautam Gambhir's return to the dugout has brought about a turnaround in Kolkata Knight Riders' fortunes in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 as they reach the top of the league stage with a staggering 20 points. stood. Despite losing the last two matches, KKR maintained an unbeatable lead and recorded the highest net run rate in the history of the tournament.
Gambhir was one of the main reasons for KKR's great performance in the tournament and some of his decisions worked wonders for the two-time champions. From promoting Sunil Narine as an opener to supporting Phil Salt at the top, Gambhir deserves credit for his work with KKR in IPL 2024 so far.
Ahead of KKR's crucial match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the first Qualifier, Gambhir got into an engaged conversation with former India teammate R Ashwin on a chat show on his YouTube channel. In the interview, Gambhir spoke about a wide range of topics, from his no-nonsense attitude to his views on mankading (a run-out at the non-striker's end) and the debate on the 'spirit of cricket'.
When asked about the spirit of cricket debates, Gambhir, who is known for his candid answers, was candid in his opinion that it means nothing. Gambhir pointed out that players are already obliged to follow certain rules, and if they do so, they are within the spirit of the game. The former India opener walked back his bold statement while proving his point, saying there was no match-fixing and the players had the right to use it within the rules of the game.
“If you ask me, nothing. The spirit of the game, everyone plays in the spirit of the game. Whatever is written in the law, you have the right to use it. You're not fixing the match, you're not messing with the ball. You have every right to play hard, and within the rules of the game, no matter how you win. That's what it's all about, that's the spirit of the game,'' Gambhir told Ashwin.
Harshal Mankading Bishnoi would have been good: Gambhir
Gambhir was asked what would have been if Ravi Bishnoi had gotten Mankaded to Harshal Patel during the match between his former team Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bengaluru last season, and India's senior spinner said: After answering, Ashwin was spotted. The former LSG leader said that even if the team lost the match, he would have been fine had Harshal succeeded in getting Bishnoi sent off on the non-striker side.
“I would have been fine with that. It was the non-striker's responsibility to protect the field, so I would have been fine with that. And that's something. If Bishnoi had been made Mankade, I would have been fine with that. That match. Obviously it would have been sad if we didn't win. But after that it's up to the non-strikers, of course,” Gambhir added.
Harshal tried to run Bishnoi at the non-striker's end as LSG needed just one run to win the match, but the RCB bowlers could not prevent the dismissal before Avesh Khan smashed LSG over the lines in a thrilling last-ball moment.
Gambhir, a two-time IPL-winning captain with KKR, returned to the franchise after a successful spell with LSG. He was appointed as LSG's mentor ahead of his debut season in 2022, leading LSG to back-to-back playoff appearances. Gambhir has been successful in taking KKR to the playoffs this time around and the team will be hoping to end their title drought this season.
