NEW DELHI: Immersed in emotion, the Kolkata Knight Riders players underscored the pivotal roles of mentor Gautam Gambhir and assistant coach Abhishek Nayar in shaping the team into a championship-winning squad that convincingly triumphed over Sunrisers Hyderabad to claim its third IPL trophy. Andre Russell and Harshit Rana struggled to articulate the sensation of becoming IPL champions, while expressing admiration for Nayar's contributions. In a lopsided final, KKR demolished Hyderabad by eight wickets after restricting them to a mere 113 runs, marking the lowest total ever in an IPL title clash.
This victory secured KKR's third IPL title. "I cannot tell how happy I am," Harshit, who picked up two wickets in the final, said after the triumph. Even the seasoned Russell was lost for words as he tried to hold back his tears.
"No words to describe. It means so much. I am happy that all of us were very disciplined and worked towards one goal.
This franchise has done a lot for me. It's a big gift from all of us to them," Russell said. Varun Chakravarathy, who has had a successful season with his spin bowling, lauded Nayar's contributions.
"All I can think right now is of the person who built this Indian core: Abhishek Nayar. 'Please come here'," he said, asking the former Mumbai batter to join them. Venkatesh Iyer, who remained not out on 52 off 26 balls in an easy chase of 114, also mentioned Nayar's role in the team's success.
"Really happy with it. As Varun mentioned, Abhishek N.
