Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) fast bowler Harshit Rana recently spoke about how much he misses the "thrill" and "aura" of Gautam Gambhir in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Ahead of KKR's crucial match against Delhi Capitals on Tuesday, April 29, Rana shared his thoughts during the pre-match press conference. He acknowledged that while the coaching staff remained largely unchanged from last year, he still missed the unique energy Gambhir brought to the team.
In a candid reflection, Rana mentioned that the team had lost two key coaches after their title-winning season, with Gambhir taking over as the head coach for the Indian national team. While Gambhir has continued in his role with KKR, Abishek Nayar, the former assistant coach, was dismissed following the disappointing performance in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Despite the shift, Rana pointed out that the loss of Gambhir's leadership presence had left a void.
"I won't say that because the composition of our support staff is basically the same (from last year). (Abhishek) Nayar Bhai has also come back. Chandu Sir, (Dwayne) Bravo is all good. But yes, there is this thrill factor which I miss a little. I am not talking about anyone else," Rana explained. "You also know that Gambhir has an aura, the way he comes and takes the team along. I was just talking about that," he added, highlighting the emotional impact Gambhir had on the players.
Rana also expressed his appreciation for Nayar's return to the team. Nayar rejoined KKR midway through the IPL season and immediately got to work with the struggling batters. Rana emphasized how Nayar’s knowledge of the Indian core of players has been instrumental in guiding them. "There will be a lot of changes now that he (Abhishek Nayar) has come back. Because he is a very smart mind. He reads situations very well and he knows the Indian core of our (KKR) team very well. He has groomed them for many years. So we also get a lot of help now that he has come back. So it feels good," Rana said.
Despite these positive changes, KKR's batting woes have continued to plague them in the ongoing IPL season. The team has struggled with its opening combination, and Venkatesh Iyer, their most expensive buy in the mega-auction, has been woefully out of form. KKR has also faced criticism for not utilizing their assets optimally, particularly their powerful lower order, including Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, and Ramandeep Singh. There have been calls to send these players in earlier to capitalize on their strength.
After playing 9 games, KKR finds themselves languishing in the lower half of the points table with just 3 wins. The team has been battling with the home pitch, which has not been as favorable for them as expected. On Tuesday, KKR will be playing at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, which, according to some, may favor their spinners more than the wickets in Kolkata.
KKR is now in a do-or-die situation, needing to win all their remaining matches if they are to keep their hopes of making the play-offs alive.
