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Under the mentorship of former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have displayed exceptional performances in the IPL 2024 season, securing a playoff berth under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer. Gambhir’s presence with the team has been widely acknowledged as a significant factor contributing to their success.
Ab de Villiers’ comments on Hardik Pandya get viral
Amidst the celebration of KKR’s achievements, Gambhir has made headlines for his criticism of AB de Villiers. The former Indian opener rebuked De Villiers for his recent comments regarding Hardik Pandya’s captaincy in the ongoing IPL season.
Hardik’s return to the Mumbai Indians (MI) as captain has been tumultuous, with the five-time champions failing to secure a playoff spot, marking a disappointing season for the team. De Villiers questioned the genuineness of Hardik’s captaincy, suggesting it was ego-driven.
Also READ: IPL 2024 – Ambati Rayudu names the next AB de Villiers in international cricket
Gautam Gambhir slams De Villiers
Gambhir criticized both De Villiers and Kevin Pietersen, another former cricketer who had voiced similar opinions on Hardik’s captaincy. Gambhir emphasized that neither De Villiers nor Pietersen had notable leadership achievements in the IPL, contrasting them with Hardik’s success as a title-winning captain.
“When they themselves did captaincy [were captains], what were their own performances like? I do not think that whether it is Kevin Pietersen or AB de Villiers, there have ever been performances in their careers from a leadership point of view. Nothing. If you look up their records, I think it’s worse than any other leader,” said Gambhir on Sportskeeda.
“I don’t think AB de Villiers has even captained any game in the IPL or ultimately achieved anything apart from his own scores. I do not think he has achieved anything from a team point of view. Hardik Pandya is still an IPL-winning captain. So, you should only compare orange to oranges, not apples to oranges,” he added.
