Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders will face each other at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. The match will be an interesting one as fans will once again witness an indirect saga between Gautam Gambhir and the former Chennai skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. However, Gambhir is not playing but is designated as the mentor of KKR.
Former India opener who is currently the mentor of the Knight Riders, reminisced about his rivalry with MS Dhoni and mentioned that he had to employ his tactical skills to outsmart his former captain when Dhoni led the Super Kings.
Ahead of the highly anticipated IPL 2024 match between CSK and KKR, Gambhir expressed his enjoyment of the game and remembered the days with Dhoni and the Super Kings during his tenure as the captain of the KKR.
“I wanted to win. I am very clear in my mind. Friends, mutual respect, everything will remain. But when you are in the middle, I am captaining KKR and he is captaining CSK. If you ask him, he will probably give you the same answer. It’s about winning. Obviously, MS is the most successful captain India will ever have. I don’t think anyone can reach that level – winning 3 ICC trophies,” Gambhir told Star Sports.
Game recognises game! 🤝@GautamGambhir talks about @MSDhoni's tactical genius, and why he's more determined than ever to win when he comes up against him and @Chennaiipl! 💪
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) April 8, 2024
Will Gambhir + @ShreyasIyer15 triumph tactically over Dhoni + #RuturajGaikwad tonight? 👀
Tune in to… pic.twitter.com/kvxi5vinzC
KKR has won two trophies for Kolkata Knight Riders and their first came in 2012 when they beat Chennai Super Kings in the final under the captaincy of Gautam Gambhir. That could have been the hat-trick of titles for Chennai Super Kings but it was KKR who stopped that streak.
“But, yes, in the IPL, enjoyed every bit of it because I knew MS had that tactical mindset. He is very good tactically. Knew how to control the spinners, how to set the fields against them, and would never give up as well. He batted at No. 6 or 7, and we knew that till he was there, he could finish off the game.”
“Even if they needed 20 runs in an over, and MS was in the middle, he could finish off that game. At the same time, I knew I had the bowling attack to challenge anyone in the Super Kings. Knew that tactically had to be better than him on every front because he is not that aggressive on the field, but knew he would not give up. Chennai is that kind of a team, against whom you know you are not winning until the last ball is bowled,” Gambhir concluded.
