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Tag: Gautam Gambhir

  • Shah Rukh Khan’s bold move, blank cheque offered to Gautam Gambhir amid BCCI’s pursuit for Team India’s coaching role: Report | Cricket News

    The iconic Eden Gardens erupted in jubilation as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) clinched their third IPL title, defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in a nail-biting final on Sunday. Amidst deafening roars from the packed stands, the Shah Rukh Khan-owned franchise etched their name in IPL folklore once again, adding another glorious chapter to their storied legacy.

    Also Read: Virat Kohli Extends Break After IPL 2024, Could Miss Team India’s T20 World Cup Warm-up Game

    Gambhir’s Midas Touch

    Much of KKR’s success can be attributed to the tactical genius of mentor Gautam Gambhir. The former Indian opener, who led KKR to their previous two IPL triumphs, has undoubtedly left an indelible mark on the team’s ethos. His calm demeanor and astute decision-making proved invaluable throughout the tournament, culminating in a well-deserved victory.

    Rinku Singh: The Unlikely Hero

    While star performers like Venkatesh Iyer and Nitish Rana played their part, it was the unheralded Rinku Singh who truly stole the show. With KKR teetering at 89/5 in their pursuit of 174, the left-hander displayed nerves of steel, smashing an unbeaten 42 off just 28 deliveries to guide his team home.

    Cummins’ Valiant Effort in Vain

    For SRH, Pat Cummins led from the front, both with the ball and the bat. The Australian spearhead claimed three crucial wickets before contributing a blistering 33 off just 18 balls. However, his efforts ultimately fell short as KKR held their nerve in the closing stages.

    Shah Rukh’s Unbridled Passion

    As the winning runs were scored, the celebrations reached a crescendo, with Shah Rukh Khan leading the charge. The Bollywood superstar, known for his unwavering passion for the sport, was seen embracing Gambhir and the players, his joy evident for all to see. The victory not only cemented KKR’s status as one of the most successful IPL franchises but also underscored Shah Rukh’s deep commitment to the team.

    Tactical Masterclass from Gambhir

    Gautam Gambhir’s influence on KKR’s fortunes cannot be overstated. From his shrewd team selections to his calculated bowling changes, the former India opener displayed a tactical acumen that kept his side ahead of the game. His ability to inspire and motivate his players was equally vital, as evidenced by the team’s resilience in the face of adversity.

  • IPL 2024: CSK vs KKR Head-To-Head, Probable Playing 11s, Chennai Pitch Report, Key Battles And Weather Forecast; All You Need To Know | cricket news

    Huge game today in Indian Premier League (IPL 2024) as two of the biggest rivals in the T20 league are going to meet for the first time this season. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are going to host (Kolkata Knight Riders) at Chepauk and it cannot get better than this. Former captains of the respective teams – MS Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir – will be in two different roles but the desire to beat each other will still be there in them. Mind you, CSK have lost two in a row and need a win to bounce back while KKR are on winning spree, winning 3 in 3 so far.

    Also Read | IPL 2024: Rohit Sharma Becomes Second Batter After Virat Kohli To Achieve Rare Feat With Stellar Knock Vs DC

    CSK vs KKR: Head-to-head

    CSK and KKR are big rivals because of the intensity with which these two teams play. But when it comes to head-to-head record, there is a big gap between them. CSK have won 18 matches against KKR while the Kolkata-based franchise has won only 10. In Chepauk, the two teams have met each other ten times, out of which KKR have won thrice while Chennai have been victorious 7 times. Gautam Gambhir will want his team to get more closer to Chennai today by winning this contest.

    Chennai Pitch Report

    The MA Chidambaram stadium offers slower pitches, especially in the IPL. CSK build their squad keeping the slow nature of the surface in mind. Expect slower bowlers to dominate the game. KKR are one side which can do well at Chennai despite the slower nature of the surface because they do have the type of bowlers in Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy and if needed Suyash Sharma to do the job. But the likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Maheesh Theekshana, Mitchell Santner know this surface better having played here a lot in the league. The slow medium pace of Shivam Dube and Daryl Mitchell can also come in handy for CSK today.

    key battles

    Rinku Singh vs the Sri Lankan duo of Matheesha Pathirana and Maheesh Theekshana will be a contest to look out for. Rinku is known for his finishing skills but it is also true that he has scored just 35 runs off 33 balls against them in the league. It will be interested to see how Rinku goes against Theekshana in the middle overs and Pathirana in the death overs.

    Ruturaj Gaikwad vs Mitchell Starc will be another good contest as well the KKR spinners vs MS Dhoni. We might see Varun Chakravarthy being introduced if Dhoni comes to bat early as the former CSK captain has had difficulties facing leg or mystery spin bowling.

    Weather forecast in Chennai today

    It is going to be super hot in Chennai on April 8. There will be no clouds in Chennai today as the temperature will be between 31 to 35 degrees with the humidity crossing 74 percent mark by 7 pm IST when te match is about to begin. But no rain in Chennai today.

    CSK vs KKR: Probable Playing 11s

    CSK Probable XI: Rachin Ravindra, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ajinkya Rahane, Shivam Dube, Daryl Mitchell, Ravindra Jadeja, Sameer Rizvi/Mitchell Santner, MS Dhoni, Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Maheesh Theekshana.

    KKR Probable XI: Sunil Narine, Phil Salt, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Shreyas Iyer, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy.

  • IPL 2024: Memes Pour In After Virat Kohli, Gautam Gambhir Share A Laugh; Pic Goes Viral | cricket news

    Star batter Virat Kohli’s skillful unbeaten fifty formed the foundation of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s competitive 182 for six against Kolkata Knight Riders in their IPL match on Friday. Kohli (83, 59b, 4×4, 4×6) and Cameron Green (33 off 21b) milked 65 runs off 42 balls for the second wicket, the primary alliance in RCB innings, as the home side produced a two-faced effort after being asked to. bat first on a track that was on the slower side. Another interesting thing which happened was Kohli and Gautam Gambhir hugging it out during the time-out which set the internet buzzing.

    (WATCH: Virat Kohli, Gautam Gambhir End Rift Rumors With Heartwarming Hug During RCB vs KKR Clash)

    Checkout the reactions here…

    Gambhir and Kohli during time out pic.twitter.com/uCKGk9Fjml RR (@RacchaRidhvik) March 29, 2024

    Me when Kohli and Gambhir hugged each other pic.twitter.com/xAeREGsAQN Sagar (@sagarcasm) March 29, 2024

    Ravi Shastri – fairplay award to KKR for this hug between Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir.

    Sunil Gavaskar – not only a fairplay award, but also an Oscar award. pic.twitter.com/qgQfMICbzP Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) March 29, 2024

    kohli and gambhir hugged it out pic.twitter.com/5avKGmM4Ve Shau (@shxuryaa) March 29, 2024

    Coming back to the match, an archetypal Dinesh Karthik cameo (20, 8b, 3×6) added gravitas to the RCB total as usual towards the end. Skipper Faf du Plessis went back early as the Royal Challengers captain’s attempt to scoop pacer Harshit Rana ended in the hands of Mitchell Starc inside the circle.

    But a period of stability followed as Kohli and Green kept RCB on the track with a busy stand that saw them reaching 61 for 1 in the Power Play segment. Kohli dished out drives and lofts over covers, a new addition to his batting, sweeps and slog-sweep to fetch his runs, but the shot of the night was a swat-flick off Starc that sailed for a six.

    In fact, no other shot really encapsulates Kohli’s batting like the swat-flick – a child of his desire to find newer ways to sustain the dominance of bowlers. A simple snap of wrists and power emanating from a strong bottom hand can turn this traditionally gentle shot into a malevolent run-making option. Kohli brought his fifty in 36 balls whereas other batsmen, except Green, generally struggled for momentum and timing.

    But at the other end, Green wasn’t really bothered about such technical angles, as his batting was all about brute power. Sunil Narine, who was playing his 500th T20 match, was given a hammering as Green took 15 runs off the spinner’s first over that included a sequence of 4, 4, 6 – a sweep, slap past cover and a hoick over long-on.

    However, the burgeoning alliance was snapped when Green’s effort to play a pull off Andre Russell was the ball crashing on to his stumps as the ball kept a tad low. Glenn Maxwell, who was dropped twice on 11 and 21, en route to a 19-ball 28 could not exploit the largesse of KKR fielders as his luck finally ran out against Narine. A slash off the West Indian spinner ended in the hands of Rinku Singh at deep point, and Maxwell had to depart after adding 42 runs for the third wicket with Kohli.

    Rajat Patidar (3, 4b) seemed to be suffering from lack of confidence after his travails in the Test series against England, and the right-hander produced another vastly underwhelming knock. But at one end, Kohli kept going even as the KKR bowlers adopted the pace-off strategy with excellent effect to slow down the proceedings.

    Kolkata Knight Riders crushed Royal Challengers Bengaluru by seven wickets in their Indian Premier League match. KKR started off on a rousing note as the opening duo of Philip Salt (30 off 20 balls) and Sunil Narine (47 off 22 balls) added 86 runs in just 6.3 overs.

    Later, Venkatesh Iyer (50 off 30 balls) and skipper Shreyas Iyer (39 off 24 balls) helped KKR complete the task with 19 balls remaining for the side’s second win in three games. (With PTI inputs)

  • IPL 2024: Virat Kohli’s ICE-COLD Look Directed At Gautam Gambhir Sets Internet On Fire Ahead Of RCB vs KKR Clash | cricket news

    The history between former KKR captain Gautam Gambhir and former RCB captain Virat Kohli has set the internet on fire ahead of the IPL 2024 match no.10 set to take place at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium. Gambhir has returned to Kolkata Knight Riders as a mentor and his team will face Kohli’s RCB in Bengaluru on Friday night. The duo have been involved in some heated exchanges throughout the years of the IPL and one such incident took place last year after the RCB vs LSG match.

    As both teams prepare themselves for the much expected high-intensity clash a picture of Kohli looking at the direction of where Gambhir is standing has set the internet on fire. (IPL 2024: Virat Kohli Vs Gautam Gambhir 3.0 Coming? Dinesh Karthik’s Honest Remark Ahead Of RCB vs KKR Clash Goes Viral – Watch)

    Here are the reactions…

    These pictures hit hard, Man #GautamGambhir #ViratKohli #RCBvsKKR pic.twitter.com/wZZy4MaryE Vijay (@veejuparmar) March 29, 2024

    Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. pic.twitter.com/hARFwFgmFM Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) March 29, 2024

    Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir at the Chinnaswamy.

    ONE OF THE COLDEST PICTURE IN CRICKET HISTORY…. pic.twitter.com/QO70jDxhzm CricketMAN2 (@ImTanujSingh) March 29, 2024

    what a cold frame Gambhir vs Kohli, KKR vs RCB, fire vs fire is brewing up pic.twitter.com/YG0dzvqVMC sohom (@AwaaraHoon) March 29, 2024

    Coming to the match between RCB and KKR, there are many big names ready to shine in the clash tonight. One of them is Andre Russell who performed brilliantly in the season’s opener of KKR.

    Andre Russell gave an early storm warning to opponents, plundering a 25-ball 64 for Kolkata KnightRiders against Sunrisers Hyderabad in their opening IPL game and the veteran batsman attributed the bright beginning to a changed mindset. In contrast, Russell was a pale shadow of his intimidating self in IPL 2023, managing just 227 runs from 14 matches and snaffling just seven wickets.

    “My mindset wasn’t right (in 2023). I was thinking about failure more than thinking about going out and doing what I do best. When you have a mindset that I don’t want to get out, I think that’s a negative. mindset for me,” Russell said on the eve of the match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

    “I think I’ve been allowing myself to be under pressure, because I’ve been thinking too much. It’s all about the mindset, as I said, and now more clear in my approach to every delivery,” added Russell.

    But the Jamaican all-rounder said he has been working on his batting technique as well over the last year to make a bigger impact.

    “I’ve made a few changes. I was at the nets in Abu Dhabi and Sunil (Narine) was watching my technique. We realized I was doing too much, as I was stepping out and I needed to work on my stride towards the delivery. When I look at most batters who are big hitters, they don’t really have a big stretch against the deliveries that are going away. So, that’s just one little tweak that I’ve done,” said Russell.

    Detailing the changes further, the 35-year-old said: “Now, I’m just trying to move as late as possible, and you know, I wouldn’t speed so much and I try to depend on that, and just use eye-hand coordination,” he added.

  • ‘140 crore Indians in shame’: BJP MP Gautam Gambhir condemns Manipur incident

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: BJP MP Gautam Gambhir on Friday reacted to the dreaded incident in Manipur and termed it ‘extremely shameful’. Gambhir also slammed the opposition for politicizing the issue. 

    Addressing the media on the sidelines of an event, Gambhir stated, “The Manipur incident is not only a matter concerning the state but also hangs the head of 140 crore Indians in shame.”

    He urged political parties to avoid politicizing the issue and emphasized that such atrocities should never happen to any woman in any part of the country.

    The incident came to light after a video depicting the appalling act circulated on various social media platforms. In the wake of this disturbing event, opposition parties criticized Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for what they perceived as a lack of prompt action to address the violence in the North Eastern state.

    READ HERE | NCW takes suo motu cognisance of women being paraded naked in Manipur, demands prompt action

    Responding to questions about the Centre’s response, Gambhir conveyed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured the strictest punishment for the perpetrators of this heinous crime. 

    Modi, in his first public comments on the Manipur violence, declared that no guilty individual would escape justice, and the law would act firmly and decisively.

    READ HERE | Manipur viral video: ‘Guilty won’t be spared’ says PM Modi​

    Additionally, Gautam Gambhir, who represents East Delhi in Parliament, also took the opportunity to address the grievances of the local residents. 

    READ HERE | 2 Kuki women paraded naked in Manipur, gang-raped; ITLF condemns incident

    As part of his “Gautam Connect” initiative, he disclosed that he has successfully organized over 100 meetings in the past 3.5 years and intends to conduct many more, covering all assembly constituencies in East Delhi. The initiative aims to bridge the gap between elected representatives and the public, allowing for direct communication and prompt resolution of issues.

    NEW DELHI: BJP MP Gautam Gambhir on Friday reacted to the dreaded incident in Manipur and termed it ‘extremely shameful’. Gambhir also slammed the opposition for politicizing the issue. 

    Addressing the media on the sidelines of an event, Gambhir stated, “The Manipur incident is not only a matter concerning the state but also hangs the head of 140 crore Indians in shame.”

    He urged political parties to avoid politicizing the issue and emphasized that such atrocities should never happen to any woman in any part of the country.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    The incident came to light after a video depicting the appalling act circulated on various social media platforms. In the wake of this disturbing event, opposition parties criticized Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for what they perceived as a lack of prompt action to address the violence in the North Eastern state.

    READ HERE | NCW takes suo motu cognisance of women being paraded naked in Manipur, demands prompt action

    Responding to questions about the Centre’s response, Gambhir conveyed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured the strictest punishment for the perpetrators of this heinous crime. 

    Modi, in his first public comments on the Manipur violence, declared that no guilty individual would escape justice, and the law would act firmly and decisively.

    READ HERE | Manipur viral video: ‘Guilty won’t be spared’ says PM Modi​

    Additionally, Gautam Gambhir, who represents East Delhi in Parliament, also took the opportunity to address the grievances of the local residents. 

    READ HERE | 2 Kuki women paraded naked in Manipur, gang-raped; ITLF condemns incident

    As part of his “Gautam Connect” initiative, he disclosed that he has successfully organized over 100 meetings in the past 3.5 years and intends to conduct many more, covering all assembly constituencies in East Delhi. The initiative aims to bridge the gap between elected representatives and the public, allowing for direct communication and prompt resolution of issues.

  • LSG mentor Gautam Gambhir catches up with ‘skipper’ MS Dhoni after win over CSK

    By ANI

    MUMBAI: Lucknow Super Giants mentor Gautam Gambhir caught up with his old teammate and former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni after LSG’s maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 victory in Mumbai at the Brabourne Stadium on Thursday.

    The photos and videos of Gambhir interacting with Dhoni went viral on social media. The CSK superstar could be seen with a smile on his face during his conversation with Gambhir, bringing joy to the fans, given the reports of seemingly strained relations between them.

    Gambhir also posted a heartwarming picture with Dhoni after the game that went viral. “It was nice catching up skipper!” Gambhir posted on Instagram.

    On several occasions earlier, Gambhir had openly criticized the wicket-keeper batter on various issues.

    Gambhir played a key role in India’s 2011 World Cup win, which came under Dhoni’s captaincy. In the most iconic partnerships of Indian cricket, Dhoni and Gambhir joined hands to chase down a 275-run target against Sri Lanka.

    Earlier on Thursday, MS Dhoni smashed a six off the very first delivery he faced. He hit 16 runs from just 6 deliveries, pushing CSK’s score past 200.

    A 61-run knock from LSG’s wicket-keeper batter Quinton de Kock and an unbeaten 55 from Evin Lewis helped Lucknow Super Giants chase down the huge target of 211 to register a six-wicket win over four-times IPL champions Chennai Super Kings.

    Merely two days before the start of IPL 2022, Dhoni had stepped down as the captain of CSK. (ANI)

  • First send your children to border: Gautam Gambhir to Navjot Sidhu over his ‘bada bhai’ remark to Imran Khan

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Delhi BJP MP Gautam Gambhir on Friday slammed Punjab Congress chief Navjot Sidhu for calling Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan his “elder brother”, asking him to send his children to the border before making such remarks.

    The cricketer-turned-politician also said India has been fighting against terrorism sponsored by Pakistan for 70 years and it is “shameful” on part of Sidhu to call the prime minister of a “terrorist country” his big brother.

    “Send ur son or daughter to the border & then call a terrorist state head ur big brother! #Disgusting #Spineless,” he tweeted.

    ALSO READ | Navjot Singh Sidhu bats for trade, ‘new friendship chapter’ between India & Pakistan as he visits Kartarpur

    Sidhu, who offered prayers at Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara in Pakistan earlier in the day, was effusive in his praise for Khan.

    “Imran Khan is my elder brother. I am greatly honoured. He (Khan) gave us a lot of love,” he said.

    Gambhir, the Lok Sabha MP from East Delhi, further said in a statement, “Does Sidhu remember that Pakistani terrorists killed more than 40 of our civilians and jawans in Kashmir in the last one month?” Sidhu, a former Team India member, had earlier courted controversy by embracing then Pakistan Army chief General Bajwa during a visit to the neighbouring country in 2018.

  • After Gambhir-led KKR, CSK is where I have felt most secure: Robin Uthappa

    By ANI

    DUBAI: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batsman Robin Uthappa, who played a match-winning knock against Delhi Capitals on Sunday, said he has felt the most secure in the Yellow Camp in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021.

    Uthappa, who had earlier played for KKR under Gautam Gambhir’s leadership, launched a counterattack after Faf du Plessis’ early dismissal. The right-handed batsman smashed 63 off 44 balls as CSK defeated Delhi Capitals by four wickets.

    “I always maintain that this has been one of the most secure franchises going around and everyone feels secure within the group and I think that only makes a player only give that much more to the franchise,” Uthappa said during the post-match presentation.

    “After KKR, when Gauti was the captain I really enjoyed myself there and felt really secure in that group but after that this is the most secure I’ve felt while playing cricket in a while.

    “It’s gonna be interesting and exciting and really looking forward to it. I just like to take the opportunity to say everyone in the world out there — let’s be kind, the world needs it,” he added.

    Uthappa warmed the bench for CSK before he got the opportunity to bat in the last few games of the league stage. The right-handed batsman dedicated his knock to his son, who was celebrating his birthday on Sunday.

    “Happy that I was able to contribute. Today is my son’s birthday and this one’s for him. When I went out to bat we knew we needed a good start, so I just tried to react to the ball and play according to the merit,” said Uthappa.

    “Hopefully it’s nothing serious (about his injury), seems like it’s a little bit of a niggle and we have got 4 days to go so I should be good. There were days when there were doubts to be honest, when you don’t get to play these doubts tend to creep in and I try to make sure that I shut myself from the outside world, I just stuck to that and I just felt that at some point I will be able to contribute to the team in a way that’s really meaningful and I’m really grateful for God that I have been able to do that today,” he signed off. 

  • Mumbai Indians will have an advantage in UAE, feels former Indian batsman Gautam Gambhir

    By IANS

    NEW DELHI: Defending champions Mumbai Indians will have an advantage playing in the UAE when the second phase of the IPL 2021 begins from September 19, said former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir.

    He believes that the conditions in the UAE will suit Mumbai Indians’ pacers. “They’ve played in conditions that are completely different to where they normally play in. When you see the conditions in Chepauk or Delhi, they are completely different from what you get at Wankhede. And, as I mentioned, they are going into conditions that are suited to their fast bowling — people like Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult,” Gambhir said on Star Sports’ show Game Plan.

    “There will be swing upfront, so they will be very dangerous. Plus, Mumbai wants balls to swing and you’ve got quality fast bowlers and it’s going to be an advantage for them. Plus their batters, want the balls to come on to the bat as well, people like Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, all those guys struggled at Chepauk, because it was gripping and turning.

    “They are not going to struggle, once they start playing in Dubai or Abu Dhabi. So, that’s the reason why I would feel Mumbai Indians will have an advantage; they can’t afford slow starter anymore, because they have seven games to go and they might have to win 5 matches to qualify, so they can’t afford to be in that situation, where they have to win five out of five,” he added.

    Mumbai Indians will kick start IPL 2021 with three-time champions Chennai Super Kings at the Dubai International Stadium on September 19.

  • We haven’t seen the best of KL Rahul yet: Former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Former India opener Gautam Gambhir expects KL Rahul to have a stupendous IPL campaign when the league resumes later this week as he believes that the big-hitter’s best has not yet been seen despite an average of over 50 in the last three seasons.

    Punjab Kings captain Rahul is averaging 66 after seven matches this year with a strike rate of 136.

    The IPL was suspended in May due to COVID-19 cases in its bubble and will resume on Sunday in the UAE.

    “We haven’t seen the best of KL Rahul. Yes, he has got runs, but we still haven’t seen, what he can achieve in his batting,” Gambhir told Star Sports show Game Plan.

    “You could have a season like Virat Kohli had once. He’s that kind of a player in white-ball cricket, where he can get 2-3 hundreds in a season and at a very good strike rate as well,” he said.

    The 29-year-old Rahul has already amassed 331 runs from seven games this year, including four half centuries.

    He is second on the list of 2021 IPL’s top-scorers.

    Speaking of other teams, Gambhir said the conditions in the UAE will favour defending champions Mumbai Indians.

    Mumbai and Chennai Super Kings will clash in the first match of the resumed season on Sunday.

    “When you see the conditions in Chepauk or Delhi, they are completely different from what you get at Wankhede. And, as I mentioned, they are going into conditions that are suited to their fast bowling – people like Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult,” Gambhir said.

    “There will be swing upfront, so they will be very dangerous. Plus, Mumbai wants balls to swing and you’ve got quality fast bowlers and it’s going to be an advantage for them.

    “Plus their batters, want the balls to come on to the bat as well, people like Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, all those guys struggled at Chepauk, because it was gripping and turning.”

    Gambhir also felt that Mumbai Indians can’t afford a slow start since they might need to win five of their remaining seven matches to qualify for the Play-offs.

    Talking about India skipper Virat Kohli and his Royal Challengers Bangalore teammate AB de Villiers, Gambhir said they will come into the tournament with different challenges.

    “There’s going to be a challenge for Virat and there’s going to be a huge challenge for AB de Villiers as well because he will be coming into the tournament without playing any cricket at all.

    “Virat Kohli will have to adjust really quickly because there’ll be hardly any time for him to get used to it.

    “From the five-Test-match series to the T20 format, and AB as well, because these guys need to get runs if they have to have a chance to first qualify for the playoffs and then probably go on to win the title.”