A glimpse into Dwayne Bravo's 'successful formula' for KKR: Messaging Gautam Gambhir multiple times

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) mentor Dwayne Bravo has revealed that he reached out to India head coach Gautam Gambhir for advice on how to replicate the successful formula that led KKR to their third Indian Premier League (IPL) title win last season. Bravo, who took over as mentor following Gambhir's departure to the India senior men's side, admitted to texting Gambhir on a few occasions to gain insight into the strategies and tactics that proved effective for the team.

Gautam Gambhir returned to the franchise last season, and his addition to the support staff paid off instantly. He, along with Shreyas Iyer, managed to break the jinx for the franchise, winning the third title after 2012 and 2014. The former India opening batter had captained the team to title wins earlier.

KKR has a completely different setup this season. Ajinkya Rahane will lead the side, with Venkatesh Iyer serving as his deputy. Shreyas Iyer has gone to Punjab Kings, and the franchise will also be without Phil Salt and Mitchell Starc.

"Unfortunately, we lost some players. But I think GG had his style. I have my style. We're both successful in our own ways. Definitely, I messaged him a few times and stuff. But again, I will be leaning a lot on these guys because they had a successful formula. And it's important that we follow that formula. I think it's going to be disrespectful of me not to try and find out some of the good things he did last season. But also, the core of the team is here," Bravo told reporters.

"And that's our responsibility, coach, myself, Venky sir to go back into the auction and try our best to get back. It was our duty to go into the auction and try to get back as much as the same squad of players from the championship-winning team. And we were able to get that," he added.

'Shah Rukh Khan invested in the game'

This is not the first time Bravo will be involved with a franchise owned by Shah Rukh Khan. Earlier, Bravo played with Trinbago Knight Riders in the Caribbean Premier League.

Bravo was earlier associated with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL, and this is the first time in years that he has been involved with another team in the tournament.

"I think it is good to have a boss like Shah Rukh who is definitely really invested in the game. My first thing started off with the Trinbago Knight Riders when he first bought the team. I was the happiest person on the planet to know that someone like him showed that interest to buy a team in the Caribbean. But not only in the Caribbean, but my hometown. And I was able to help build Trinbago Knight Riders, one of, to this day, the most successful franchises in CPL history," he said.

"That energy and that vibe, I am going to try to bring that here as well. It is already a successful team. Behind MI and CSK, we have the third most trophies in the cabinet, and we look to build on that," he added.

KKR will begin their IPL 2025 campaign on March 22 at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata. The defending champions will take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in their opening fixture.

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