IPL 2024: How Gautam Gambhir quickly transformed KKR from IPL strugglers to table toppers?

In the pulsating world of IPL cricket, fortunes can change in the blink of an eye. Amidst this whirlwind of excitement, one man stands out as the architect of Kolkata Knight Riders' remarkable resurgence in IPL 2024: Gautam Gambhir. The former KKR skipper turned mentor has orchestrated a transformation that has propelled the team from strugglers to table-toppers, with a blend of astute tactics and unwavering belief.

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Here's how Gautam Gambhir transformed KKR

• Gautam Gambhir's first masterstroke after arriving at KKR was to promote Sunil Narine as an opener
• The former India cricketer also helped improve Andre Russell's performance and turned things around quickly
• Gambhir contributed hugely to the team's success by giving opportunities to uncapped youngsters 
• The 42-year-old has instilled a sense of belief in the team that they can win games from anywhere
• Gambhir also makes major strategic decisions that have played a huge role in their success

Gautam Gambhir's strategic masterstroke was the promotion of Sunil Narine to the top of the batting order. Recognizing Narine's batting prowess, Gambhir had previously deployed him as an opener during his captaincy tenure with KKR. Upon his return to the KKR fold as a mentor ahead of IPL 2024, Gambhir reinstated Narine in this role, unleashing the West Indian all-rounder as a formidable force at the crease. 

Sunil Narine has contributed significantly to KKR's surge in IPL 2024 and is in contention for the coveted Orange Cap. He has scored 461 runs in 11 innings including three fifties and one century. 

Another hallmark of Gautam Gambhir's leadership is his unwavering faith in nurturing young talent. In IPL 2024, KKR has been invigorated by the emergence of promising uncapped players such as Harshit Rana, Ramandeep Singh, Vaibhav Arora, and Angkrish Raghuvanshi. Gambhir's keen eye for talent and his willingness to provide opportunities have seen these youngsters blossom into match-winners.

Central to KKR's resurgence is Gautam Gambhir's winning mentality. He has instilled in players the belief that they can win any match from any point, which has also shown the results of KKR this season. Shreyas Iyer has not won too many tosses in the IPL 2024 season but that has not impacted the results of the team as the captain himself has said on multiple occasions that the outcome of the toss doesn't matter. It shows that the team is always focused on winning games rather than thinking about external uncontrollable factors.

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Gautam Gambhir did similar things when he was the mentor at Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for two seasons. Gambhir was appointed the mentor of LSG ahead of IPL 2022 season. Gambhir with his impressive cricketing brain helped the side qualify for the IPL 2024 playoffs for two consecutive seasons.