Sign In
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
Not many realise that Gautam Gambhir was among the top earning cricketers in the Indian Premier League even before he made a name for himself as coach. An explosive left handed batter, he was one of the most costly players in the 2011 IPL auction.
Kolkata Knight Riders paid him Rs 14.9 crore in the 2011 IPL auction to make him one of the top Indian players in the cash-rich league. Gambhir repaid the faith with two IPL titles, leading the team to victory in 2012 and 2014 seasons.
The left handed batter was bought by Delhi Daredevils for Rs 2.90 crore before the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008. At the 2011 auction, his value soared as KKR came calling with a bagful of cash and at Rs 14.90 crore made him the most expensive player in the competition's history then.
After such success, KKR retained him at the 2014 auction with a hefty price of Rs 11.04 crore but he couldn't replicate his success in the next three years and in 2018, Gambhir returned to Delhi for Rs 2.8 crore.
Delhi also appointed him as the skipper but after underwhelming results, he stepped down and returned his salary as he couldn't perform as per expectations.
KKR CEO Venky Mysore later revealed that Gambhir had requested not to be retained as he wanted to finish his IPL career with the team he began with.
"He was very much in our plans for the auctions, RTM, but he had a conversation with us well before. He felt that there might be a different challenge before (him), we don't know what it was," Mysore said.
And (he) requested if we would refrain from bidding for him or using Right to Match. And we said we will never come in the way of anyone's progress or anyone's aspirations. We're sorry to see him go, seven great years."
Gambhir left as KKR's leading run-scorer with 3345 in 122 matches. "Thanks kkr for all the support. Will miss Kolkata and Eden. Now, time to try and turn it around for @DelhiDaredevils @IPL. Happy to be back," he wrote on social media platform X then.
Overall in the IPL, Gambhir scored 4217 runs in 154 matches, with 36 half-centuries and a top score of 93.
After wrapping up his playing career, Gambhir ventured into coaching, becoming the mentor of Lucknow Super Giants in 2011 and shifting to KKR in 2023, guiding them to the title in 2024.
He then agreed to become the Indian cricket team's captain after the departure of Rahul Dravid following their T20 World Cup triumph in June last year.
