Gautam Gambhir is one of the most successful captains in IPL history. The former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain enjoyed huge success in the T20 league and led his former franchise to twin IPL title wins. Gambhir also captained Delhi Capitals (DC) but didn't have a memorable run with them. Gambhir joined KKR in the IPL 2011 mega-auction for a huge sum of Rs 11.04 crore. He was retained before the IPL 2014 mega-auction.
KKR were keen to buy Gambhir and spent a huge sum on him. Not just KKR, Mumbai Indians (MI) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) also tried to sign Gambhir in the mega-auction.
At one stage, RCB made the highest bid for Gambhir worth $900,000 but another team matched it. MI were also keen to buy Gambhir. Pune Warriors and Kochi Tuskers Kerala also tried to sign Gambhir. In the end, KKR made the winning bid for Gambhir. While MI failed to sign Gambhir, they bought Rohit Sharma for Rs. 9.20 crore.
First up is Gautam Gambhir. Highest bid till now is RCB with $900,000.
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) January 8, 2011
Gambhir-led KKR ended their title drought and defeated mighty Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2012 final. Two years later, KKR lifted their second IPL title with a win over Punjab Kings in the final.
Before the IPL 2018 mega-auction, KKR made a shocking call to release him. Gambhir joined DC for a season and announced his retirement later in 2018. He made a return to IPL as the mentor of Lucknow Super Giants in 2022.
Six years after being released by KKR, Gambhir made a comeback to the franchise as the mentor. The Shreyas Iyer-led side excelled under Gambhir's mentorship and won the IPL trophy after 10 years.
Gambhir's success saw him becoming the head coach of Team India after IPL 2024. He was joined by KKR's coaches, Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate. KKR will have new additions to their coaching staff before IPL 2025.