"I like that attitude in him" - Ravichandran Ashwin on Gautam Gambhir's competitiveness

Veteran Team India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin recently spoke about how he is a fan of former opening batter Gautam Gambhir's competitive attitude.

Ashwin opined that fans of some Indian Premier League (IPL) teams might dislike Gambhir for the kind of approach, but he personally loves the fierce energy.

Speaking in his latest YouTube video, Ashwin said about the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) mentor:

"He (Gambhir) is one person who has 'bring it on' energy and doesn’t hold back. I like that attitude in him. If you are a fan of a particular team, you might get offended by it. But to look at it from the outside, the no-chill attitude is something I love."

Gautam Gambhir has rejoined hands with KKR ahead of the upcoming IPL 2024, albeit in a new role. After serving as the mentor of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for two years, he has now been roped in for the mentorship role for the Kolkata-based franchise.

Ravichandran Ashwin suggested that Gambhir's return to Kolkata may augur well for the team, pointing out how the southpaw captained them to two IPL titles during his stint as the skipper.

"Gautam Gambhir has left LSG and joined KKR. He has been an integral part of the leadership. He was the first to change the fortunes of the franchise and won two titles as the captain. They are searching for their third title, and this seems like the perfect timing. They’ve brought him from LSG because they seem to have a great connection with him. In fact, Gautam also seems to be a happy place to be in KKR," he added.

Notably, Gambhir was roped in by KKR for a whopping ₹11.04 crore ahead of the 2011 edition. Following a string of underwhelming campaigns, Kolkata staged a fantastic turnaround under Gambhir's captaincy, emerging as champions in 2012 and 2014.

The left-handed batter's association with KKR ended after he was bagged by the Delhi Capitals (DC) at the auction in 2018. He announced his retirement later that year.

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"Gautam Gambhir has also been quite the nemesis for CSK" - Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin also spoke about how during Gautam Gambhir's captaincy, KKR gave Chennai Super Kings (CSK) a run for their money on several occasions, including the IPL 2012 final.

He mentioned that while Mumbai Indians' (MI) rivalry with CSK has got the limelight, Gambhir has also been a nemesis for Chennai in the league's history.

"For CSK, Mumbai Indians have been a nemesis over the years. They've had 5-5 equal titles. The Mumbai Indians actually won their first title only in 2013. In the last 10 years, they have won five titles, one every alternate year. Another thorn in the flesh for CSK was Gautam Gambhir’s KKR," he stated.

"He has posted a good threat to them, especially in 2012, when Chennai was going to hit a hat trick. I was playing them for CSK; they had us at the finals in Chennai. Since then, Gautam Gambhir has also been quite the nemesis for CSK," Ashwin added.

Kolkata will start their IPL 2024 campaign with a clash against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Eden Gardens on Saturday, March 23.