Venkatesh Iyer reveals how Gautam Gambhir set the bar at KKR

Venkatesh Iyer recalls Gautam Gambhir's influence in KKR's title-winning IPL 2024 campaign, revealing how the former mentor demanded excellence, encouraged honest feedback and made every player feel important, regardless of their role.Gautam Gambhir mentored KKR to IPL glory in 2024 (PTI Photo)New Delhi,Nov 7, 2026 00:04 ISTVenkatesh Iyer has offered an insight into Gautam Gambhir's influence in the Kolkata Knight Riders dressing room during their title-winning IPL 2024 campaign, recalling how the former captain created an environment where every player was expected to contribute.Speaking on a podcast with Aakash Chopra, Iyer described the atmosphere in the KKR dressing room and the number of players ready to step in whenever the team needed them. He recalled a moment when several members of the batting line-up were padded up even before the innings had properly settled."Sunil Narine and Phil Salt are opening, Angkrish Raghuvanshi is padded up, Shreyas Iyer is padded up, Nitish Rana is padded up, I'm padded up, Rinku Singh is padded up, Ramandeep Singh is padded up, Andre Russell is padded up from the second over," Iyer recalled.He described the sight as a group of "lions ready to go", capturing the confidence and readiness within the squad. For Iyer, that attitude reflected the standards Gambhir wanted from the team. SETTING THE STANDARDIyer said Gambhir's presence ensured that players understood what was expected of them. There was little room for anyone to settle for average performances, with the focus firmly on doing better as a team.According to Iyer, Gambhir made it clear that excellence was the expectation. The former KKR mentor wanted players to take responsibility, stay involved and look for ways to improve, regardless of their position in the playing XI. Iyer also recalled conversations with Gambhir in the gym, where the discussions were not limited to individual performances. Gambhir would ask him to think about how the team could improve and encourage him to be open with his feedback."He would tell me that you are a senior player in the team. You have to think about how the team can improve. You have to be brave enough to give your feedback, tell us what you feel and point out what can be done better," Iyer recalled.Those conversations, he said, helped create an environment where players could express their views and take ownership of the team's progress.EVERY ROLE MATTERSIyer also spoke about how Gambhir handled changes in individual roles. He recalled scoring a half-century against Royal Challengers Bengaluru before being pushed down to No. 8 in the next match, where he got to face only the final ball.Rather than allowing the change to affect his confidence, Gambhir spoke to him about the bigger picture. Iyer said the former KKR mentor reminded him that a player's value to the team could not be judged by the number of deliveries he faced or the position he occupied in the batting order.Gambhir pointed to the different ways players contributed. Iyer could win a match with a substantial score, while Narine could do the same with a quick 90 or Ramandeep Singh with a brief but impactful innings.The message was that roles could change depending on the situation, but every player remained important to the team's plans.That approach was reflected in KKR's campaign in 2024. The team had contributions from across the batting order and a group of players who were prepared to take responsibility when called upon. KKR went on to win their third IPL title, defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final.For Iyer, Gambhir's influence was not just about tactics or team selection. It was also about ensuring players understood their responsibilities, remained ready for different roles and felt that their contribution mattered. The dressing-room atmosphere he described was built around that shared expectation.- Ends