Kolkata Knight Riders' mentor Gautam Gambhir has stressed on the importance of winning the IPL in 2024. After leading the franchise to IPL glory twice, in 2012 and 2014, Gambhir is adamant to bring joy to the City of Joy, after a decade-long of wait.
While speaking to former Team India teammate Ravichandran Ashwin, Gautam Gambhir revealed why he did not care much about Kolkata Knight Riders winning the Fair Play Award.
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Fairplay Award is given to the team, with the most sportsman spirit displayed throughout the tournament. The decorum maintained by the players and staff, during and after the game, is of high importance in the Indian Premier League. Meanwhile, any sporting act of letting-go, is also accounted as a plus, while calculating the award.
Gambhir, who has done a tremendous job with KKR so far, appeared on Ravi Ashwin's 'Kutti Stories with Ash' podcast. The 42-year-old stressed on the importance of winning the IPL trophy, giving lesser relevance to the FairPlay Award.
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What did Gautam Gambhir say about KKR's chances of winning IPL 2024 FairPlay Award?
KKR are placed at the bottom of the list of IPL 2024 Fair Play Award. The infamous incident involving Harshit Rana and Mayank Agarwal in KKR's first game of the season has had them backpedalling, right from the start.
KKR mentor Gautam Gambhir stressed on the importance of a real trophy - The IPL Trophy. As per Gambhir, at the end of the IPL season, the IPL Trophy is all that matters.
We are on the number 10 (of the Fair Play Award List). Someone sent me a message saying that KKR is where KKR is at the moment. I said yeah, at the top, no? No, in the Fair Play Award at number 10, Gambhir burst out laughing reminding himself of a conversation from a few days ago.
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Gambhir opined that he and his team have played fair cricket in the past few games. He failed to understand how his team were placed in the tenth position, heading into the playoffs. He jokingly blamed himself for his team's situation on the Fair Play Award table.
I still don't understand. We played pretty fair. What wrong have we done in the last five games!? I don't think so we've done anything wrong, and still we're number 10. Probably it is just because I'm sitting in the dugout, Gambhir cracked a joke on Ravi Ashwin's podcast, as the duo laughed with their jaws wide.
Have KKR ever won the IPL Fair Play Award?
The Kolkata Knight Riders have never won the IPL Fair Play Award in the 17-year history of the tournament. The franchise have always had a never-die attitude while being on the field.
The players, even in the past, have never shied away from getting into an argument when they think they are not being treated fairly on the pitch.