Venkatesh Iyer, speaking on a podcast with Aakash Chopra, recalled Gautam Gambhir's influence as Kolkata Knight Riders mentor during their title-winning IPL 2024 campaign. The conversation looked back at a season that ended with KKR lifting their third IPL title.
Iyer said Gambhir demanded excellence, encouraged honest feedback, and made every player feel important regardless of role. The approach, as Iyer described it, was to set a high standard and then to make sure nobody in the squad felt like a spare part. He recalled several batters being padded up from the second over, which he described as "lions ready to go". The image captures the readiness Gambhir wanted in the dressing room: everyone prepared, nobody waiting to be called.
Demanding excellence from everyone
KKR went on to win their third IPL title, beating Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final. The title run was the payoff for a season in which the team played with the confidence Gambhir had tried to build into the squad.
Gambhir's time as mentor came before he took over as India head coach. The KKR role was where his methods were seen most clearly, and Iyer's account is a window into how he worked with players day to day.
Lions ready to go
The detail about batters padded up from the second over is telling. It suggests a dressing room where preparation was constant, and where players were expected to be ready long before their turn came. That is the kind of culture Gambhir wanted to create.
Honest feedback was part of the same approach. Iyer said Gambhir encouraged players to speak openly, which meant problems could be raised early rather than left to grow. In a long tournament, that kind of openness can matter as much as any tactic.
The road to the third title
For KKR, the 2024 title was the third in the franchise's history. The final against Sunrisers Hyderabad completed a campaign in which the team had looked the strongest side through much of the season.
Iyer's account adds to the picture of Gambhir as a mentor who set the bar high and then backed his players to reach it. The phrase "lions ready to go" has now become the shorthand for that season in the KKR dressing room.
