New Delhi: Former South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis hailed Gautam Gambhir as one of the most valuable players in the Indian Premier League.
The duo were part of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) victory in 2012 and 2014 and now the protea legend is working as a mentor to the team, while Gambhir continues as the skipper.
In a special column for Gulf News, the legendary South African emphasised how Gambhir placed his innings in their season opener against Mumbai Indians. The defending champions, thanks to the skipper's 57-run knock, won the match by seven wickets at the Eden Gardens.
“Gautam Gambhir once again showed his class against Mumbai. He refused to panic after making a slow start and then kept things together during the run chase with a beautifully paced innings. He is now, in my opinion, one of the most valuable cricketers in the IPL,” Kallis wrote.
He also praised KKR coach Trevor Bayliss and wrote: “is very calm and laid back, which is an extremely important part of being a head coach. He has other members of his team to do the jumping up and down. He creates an excellent environment for players to perform in and he keeps things simple.”
Regarded as one of the greatest cricketers of all time, Kallis shared dressing room with Gautam for three seasons as players, before he took up the back-room role this season. KKR have won two out of eight IPL seasons as same as Chennai Super Kings.
