The ecstasy amidst the gloom of a Gautam Gambhir fanatic

Subconscious mind- It doesn’t spark when we are awake, the contents are stored at the back of our minds. It’s an opportunist. It sneaks through in slumber, petrifies us with viciousness and catches us napping when we aren’t ready to counter it. Subsequently, we wake up horrified and scared, mayhem consumes us at midnight and the consequences are nerve-wracking. It’s more of a nightmare.

It can revolve around someone with close affinity, a potential occurring, a past misery or man’s worst enemy- fear. For me, it was Gautam Gambhir. His association with Kolkata Knight Riders. His romantic bond with Kolkata. And most importantly his positioning in the psyche of Bongs. For Kolkatans, Gauti is a ‘Khaati Bangali’ (a Bong by heart).

No more a Kolkatan

He is similar to a Virat Kohli or an MS Dhoni who have dedicated their blood and sweat for the Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings. Meanwhile, the fact that their hometown lies in Delhi and Jharkhand respectively has taken a back-seat in our memories. However, for the time being, RCB and CSK can afford to drool over them being a ‘Bangalorean’ and a ‘Chennaian’ respectively.

KKR cannot. Gautam Gambhir is no more a Knight Rider, something which is a harsh reality for the whole of Kolkata. The Indian batsman indeed belongs to ‘Delhi’ and the fact has resurfaced out of the Blues, much to the agony of the fans of the Shah Rukh Khan-owned team. When the rumors broke out about Gambhir’s sign-off from the Knights, it was deemed tenuous.

The journey from hope to disconsolate

The subconscious mind threw a wicked smile. Steadfastly, without our knowledge, it weaved a cobweb of doubts in the RAM of our memories. As the auction advanced, speculations and analysis flooded the internet. Meanwhile, the retention ceremony saw players being retained. The Knights fans waited in anticipation, however, disappointment slapped them as Gambhir wasn’t considered.

While some supporters found the decision questionable, few of them validated the decision, justifying it for the reasons that the Knights can grab their skipper back at a cheap rate by using the newly introduced Right to Match (RTM) card. The auction finally saw the daylight at Bangalore. Gambhir was a marquee player, but he wasn’t treated as such by the franchises.

The two-time winning skipper of the tournament fetched a meager 80 thousand more than his base price of two crores. Being one of the most successful captains in the league, he was expected to go big. However, the auctions sprang surprises ever since its inception and it wasn’t any different this time around. Nevertheless, the shocker of the day was yet to unravel.

There were five bids for the left-handed batsman, out of which three belonged to the Daredevils, the remaining couple of them being from Rajasthan Royals and the Kings XI Punjab. However, amidst a short, yet intense bidding, the limelight was on the Kolkata Knight Riders. Richard Madley’s hammer hovered over Gambhir’s name or rather his fate in the T20 extravaganza.

The bidding completed and all eyes were on the Knight Riders bench. The heartbeat soared, nails were bitten, everyone other Knight fan was at the edge of their seats, the agony prolonged. Delhi wanted their homeboy to return and the Kolkata fans were eager to embrace their adopted ‘Bong’ for the eighth season. Nevertheless, the latter didn’t happen. The Knights backed out and Delhi erupted in ecstasy.

We hate him, yet respect him

Hatred and respect don’t go hand-in-hand regardless of the context it has been used. Gambhir won’t be donning the gold and purple jersey, something which will take time for the KKR supporters to get used to. Sometimes, hatred is molded out of love, the sentimental connect attributing to most of it. Gambhir is an emotion for the fans and to see him represent any other side would be painful for them.

After his bidding, the Knights authorities quashed all qualms surrounding Gambhir’s retention. They mentioned that the Delhi-born cricketer asked them to refrain from bidding for him. A shiver of hatred and dejection ran down our spine. We were shattered and hurt to the core, the sky fell apart. Why Gambhir Why? Emotions dominated, while logic took a backseat.

However, one shouldn’t forget the Gambhir is a Delhihite. Moreover, he is in his late 30s and has a limited amount of cricket left in him. He expressed his desire to end his IPL career playing for the Delhi Daredevils and the Knights paid him due respect for his indefatigable services by releasing him ahead of the auction.

Sometimes, cricket is beyond contests between bat and ball and that’s where sportsman spirit was brought forth by the Knight Riders. Delhi Daredevils and the Knights will clash in a couple of encounters and it won’t be surprising if Gauti conjures roars from the Knights supporters. Amidst the shift of franchises, the love for KKR’s hero is highly unlikely to die down.

No matter which side he represents from here onwards, he has left an impact strong enough in the psyche of KKR fans to remember him forever. While we mourn Gambhir’s farewell from the Knights community, the fans would wish for him to end his Indian Premier League career on an auspicious note.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the views of the author and not the Crictracker entity itself.