Robin Uthappa sheds light on why Gautam Gambhir is one of IPL's most successful captains

Former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and India player Robin Uthappa recently reminisced the days he played for KKR under the leadership of Gautam Gambhir.

Speaking on the Star Sports Cricket Connected show, Robin Uthappa, who has played 177 IPL matches till now shed light on why Gautam Gambhir, the former captain of KKR stood out from the other captains.

“What stood out for me was that he allowed people to express themselves and didn’t interfere with anyone’s games. He made sure he built a sense of security within the group and that I think also is integral in winning tournaments like the IPL and that’s what successful captains do,” said Uthappa.

Uthappa reckoned that successful captains like Gautam Gambhir gave people their space to express themselves so that they feel secure within the group.

“What I’ve seen is that successful captains give people their space to express themselves and make sure that everyone within the group is feeling secure.” Uthappa added.

Gautam Gambhir was appointed KKR skipper in 2012 and immediately made an impact by guiding the team to a title win in that season, before he led the side to another title a couple of years later, in 2014.

Gautam Gambhir's bond with reserve players

Gautam Gambhir and Uthappa formed a formidable opening duo at KKR, a major driving force that helped the team transform into one of the successful sides of all time. Uthappa was the Orange Cap winner in 2014 when he amassed 660 runs in KKR’s title-winning march.

The Kodava lad further dissected that successful captains like Gambhir Gambhir communicate clearly with the players that are not playing as they play a big part in maintaining the momentum in a tournament like IPL.

“You need to bind with players especially in a tournament like the IPL, guys who aren’t playing also play a big factor in building momentum and creating the right energy within the group.” he added.

Uthappa also spoke about how Gautam Gambhir made sure that he spent a lot of time with the reserves by eating along with them and training with them so that they ever felt left out, underlining his credentials as a fantastic captain.