Kolkata Knight Riders will be playing their second match in IPL 2024, after having made a winning start at home, against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 23, against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. RCB head into the game with a win against Punjab Kings at home after losing to Chennai Super Kings in the season opener last week. While RCB will be aiming to correct their winless record against KKR, whom they have never beaten on home turf since 2015 and were beaten twice last season, there is an additional context to match No. 10 of IPL 2024.
For the first time since that infamous night in Lucknow in 2023, former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir, who is now the mentor for KKR, will come face-to-face with Virat Kohli of RCB. More than a year back in May, Gambhir and Kohli were seen quarrelling after the IPL match between Lucknow Super Giants and RCB before the players from the respective sides stepped up to separate the two.
Ahead of the mouth-watering tie in Bengaluru, broadcasters Star Sports posted a never-shared-before interview of Gambhir, where the India legend lambasted RCB’s attitude, while taking a dig at their trophyless run in IPL history despite having some of the big names in their squad.
“One team I always want to beat every time and probably even in my dreams was RCB,” he said. The anchor curiously asked, “Why,” and Gambhir replied saying: “I just want to.”
“They are the second-most high-profile team, a flamboyant team, with the owner, and the squad – Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers. Not won anything, but still thought they won everything, and that kind of attitude, I can’t take that,” the two-time IPL-winning captain said.
Gambhir then pointed out that KKR played their best ever IPL matches against RCB as he recalled their three best performances, which included the infamous ‘49 all out’.
“The three best wins that KKR have ever had were against RCB. The first game of the IPL…Brendon McCullum against RCB, then 49 all out and KKR scoring 100 in the first six overs. That was the only time probably when 100 runs were scored in the first six overs in IPL. We always knew they had a strong side and probably the most aggressive batting unit as well – Gayle, Kohli, De Villiers. What can get better than that? If one thing I want out of my IPL career and love to have is go on the cricket field and beat RCB,” he concluded.
This will be the first time Gambhir will be up against RCB donning the KKR jersey, albeit as a mentor, since he last led the side in 2017. Under his captaincy, KKR played 14 matches against the franchise between 2011 and 2017, winning eight.
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