Gautam Gambhir was successful because he allowed KKR players to express themselves, reckons Robin Uthappa
Robin Uthappa revealed Gambhir's freedom helped KKR players
|BCCI
Robin Uthappa has reckoned that Gautam Gambhir’s freedom which allowed the KKR players to express themselves helped them win the IPL title in the 2012 and 2014 season. He also admitted that communication between the players and the management played a big role in building momentum for the franchise.
It was under Gautam Gambhir’s captaincy that the Knight Riders won two IPLs, in 2012 and 2014 - with the win over Chennai Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab. In the 129 IPL games that he skippered the side, the southpaw guided the team home in 71 of them while losing the other 57 games. The Indian opener, with a 55% win record made himself a hero at the Eden Gardens, with his exploits as their skipper. Former KKR opener, Robin Uthappa reckoned that Gambhir allowing the players to express themselves made him a successful captain.Â
"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," Robin Uthappa told Star Sports 'Cricket Connected'.
On the other hand, he also admitted that in his experience of winning tournaments, it is important for captains to give the players’ their due space to express themselves. On top of that, the now RR batsman revealed that the communication between the management and the team is crucial to the success of a franchise.Â
"In my experience of winning tournaments, 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.”
"So, they communicated to players even who are not playing, there's a sense of communication that's growing within the side, 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.”
