Lions ready to go: Venkatesh Iyer reveals how Gautam Gambhir set the bar at KKR

Venkatesh Iyer offered an insight into Gautam Gambhir’s influence in the Kolkata Knight Riders dressing room during their title-winning IPL 2024 campaign, recalling how the former skipper created an environment where every player was expected to contribute.

In a podcast with Aakash Chopra, Iyer described the atmosphere in the KKR dressing room and the number of players ready to step in whenever the team needed them. He recalled a time when several members of the batting line-up were stuffed before the innings had properly settled.

“Sunil Narine and Phil Salt are opening, Angkrish Raghuvanshi is stuffed, Shreyas Iyer is stuffed, Nitish Rana is stuffed, I am stuffed, Rinku Singh is stuffed, Ramandeep Singh is padded, Andre Russell is stuffed from the other end,” Iyer recalled.

He described the sight as a group of “lions ready to go”, capturing the confidence and readiness in the team. For Iyer, this attitude reflected the standards Gambhir demanded from the team.

SETTING THE STANDARD

Iyer said Gambhir’s presence ensured that the players understood what was expected of them. There wasn’t much room left for anyone to settle for mediocre performances, with the emphasis on doing better as a team.

According to Iyer, Gambhir has made it clear that excellence is expected. The former KKR mentor wanted the players to take responsibility, stay engaged and look for ways to improve, regardless of their position in the playing XI.

Iyer also recalled conversations with Gambhir in the gym, where the discussions were not limited to individual performances. Gambhir would ask him to think about how the team could improve and encourage him to be open with his feedback.

“He would tell me that you are a senior player in the team. You have to think about how the team can improve. You have to be brave enough to give us feedback, tell us what you feel and point out what can be done better,” Iyer recalled.

Those conversations, he said, helped create an environment where players could voice their opinions and hold the team accountable for their progress.

EVERY ROLE MATTER

Iyer also spoke about how Gambhir handled the changes in individual roles. He recalled how he scored a half-century against Royal Challengers Bengaluru before being pushed all the way to eighth in the next match, facing only the final ball.

Instead of letting the change affect his confidence, Gambhir spoke to him about the bigger picture. Iyer said the former KKR mentor reminded him that a player’s value to a team cannot be judged by the number of deliveries he faced or the position he occupied in the batting order.

Gambhir pointed out the various ways the players have contributed. Iyer could have won the match with a sizeable score while Narine could have done the same with a quick 90 or Ramandeep Singh with a short but impressive innings.

The message was that roles could change depending on the situation, but each player remained important to the team’s plans.

This approach was reflected in KKR’s 2024 campaign. The team had contributions from across the batting order and a group of players who were ready to take responsibility when called upon. KKR won their third IPL title by defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final.

For Iyer, Gambhir’s influence was not just about tactics or team selection. It was also about making sure players understood their responsibilities, remained prepared for different roles and felt their contribution mattered. The locker room atmosphere he described was built around this shared expectation.

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