Former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis has praised Gautam Gambhir for turning Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) into a formidable force in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Although he never played alongside Gambhir, Du Plessis described him as a fierce competitor and acknowledged his relentless drive to win.
Du Plessis said Gambhir’s intensity and uncompromising standards, both as a player and a coach, were key to shaping winning teams. He added that Gambhir does not chase approval, instead he focuses on discipline and accountability.
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KKR entered their second consecutive season without Gambhir’s mentorship, aiming to repeat their 2024 success of clinching their third IPL title. Gambhir captained the team to victory in 2012 and 2014 and played a key role in mentoring the team during their triumph in 2024.
“Obviously, my view of Gambhir is very different from the guys who played with him. When he goes to play against him, he’s always the villain in the story. But you respect that. He’s so competitive. He doesn’t worry for a second about liking him. His job as a leader is to set high standards and have accountability in the dressing room. And that’s what good leaders do these days,” Du Plessis told JioStar I Hot.
He added: “From the outside looking in, if you’re a leader or a guy playing against him, you want to beat him because of the way he carries himself as the opposition. But you respect the fact that he’s set such a high standard. You can see it in the way he talks to the team, he sets the standard and he believes that if you drop your attitude, I’ll be on your case. That’s what they’ve created since his good leaders haven’t played.”
“If you look at his record, you have to tip your hat and say, from a management point of view, KKR were a stronger side with him,” concluded Du Plessis.
NEW START FOR KKR
Gambhir stepped down from his role with KKR after the 2024 season to become the head coach of the Indian senior men’s cricket team. After his departureKKR struggled, finishing eighth last season with five wins from 14 matches and also parted ways with title-winning captain Shreyas Iyer.
The onus is now on captain Ajinkya Rahane to steer the team forward. Recently, KKR appointed Rinka Singh as the vice-captain and entrusted the young player with additional leadership responsibilities. The franchise also brought in Abhishek Nayar as the head coach after ending its association with Chandrakant Pandit.
KKR’s batting line-up looks strong with new recruits Finn Allen and Tim Seifert. However, injuries to key pitchers Harshit Rana and Matheesha Pathirana, along with controversial departure of Mustafizur Rahman, have weakened their bowling attack ahead of IPL 2026.
CAN KKR WIN WITHOUT GAMBHIR?
Former India opener Aakash Chopra dismissed the notion that KKR cannot win without Gambhir. “Gautam has been a phenomenal leader. He reads the game really well. As a captain, the two trophies he has won is a commendable feat. Also as a mentor, he is someone who reads the T20 game really well. He has put together a good team. But I will not say that if Gautam is not there, there is no trophy for MI Rohite, there is no trophy, or if Dhoni is not there, there is no trophy,” Chopra said.
He added: “So I think winning a trophy requires a lot more than captains or mentors. Yes, they won’t win without Gautam. Even this season. It’s looking a bit difficult because of injuries. But I don’t think it’s just ‘if they don’t have Gautam, they’re done’.”
KKR will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, March 29. The three-time champions left for Mumbai on Wednesday afternoon after productive training sessions and intra-squad matches in Kolkata.
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Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
March 25, 2026 6:47 PM IST
