Gambhir Recalls Heartfelt Support from Kolkata Fans Amidst Ganguly Rivalry

Former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir, now a mentor for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), recently shared heartfelt memories of his time with the team. He recalled a special moment when he received unwavering support from Kolkata fans while facing Bengal's son, Sourav Ganguly, who was leading the Pune Warriors.

In a conversation with Ravichandran Ashwin on his YouTube channel, Gambhir reminisced about his arrival at KKR in 2011 and his journey from a Delhi cricketer to a beloved figure in Kolkata. Amidst the highs and lows, he described a crucial match at Eden Gardens against Pune Warriors.

The stadium was a sea of conflicting allegiances, with KKR's purple and Pune's light blue dominating the stands. Ganguly, a Kolkata native, was leading Pune, while Gambhir captained KKR.

"A lot of people told me there would be a lot of backlash because you are replacing someone like Sourav Ganguly," Gambhir said. "But not even once in my seven years of captaincy was I made to feel that I did not belong to Kolkata."

Amidst the media attention and high expectations, Gambhir revealed a heartwarming story from the pre-match build-up. As he left the team hotel for the game, a hotel employee approached him with words of consolation and support.

"There was this huge article on the match day where it was written that Bengal would be divided for the second time after partition," Gambhir recalled. "I remember walking out of the hotel and this guy at the gate said, 'When you walk today, when you go for the toss, just remember the entire Bengal will be only cheering for you because KKR belongs to Kolkata and you will not walk alone today.'"

Gambhir carried that thought with him to the toss and throughout the match. He found strength in the unwavering support of the Kolkata fans, despite the initial doubts.

"The people of Kolkata have walked with me and that's the strength I got from Kolkata," he said. "That's the reason that when I come back to Kolkata, it is always about giving back to them."

Gambhir's KKR will play for a spot in the final when they take on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Qualifier 1 on Tuesday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Tags: #GautamGambhir, #KKR, #SouravGanguly, #PuneWarriors, #EdenGardens