"Gautam Gambhir literally made me who I am today" - Sheldon Jackson on former KKR captain
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) wicketkeeper Sheldon Jackson credited former captain Gautam Gambhir for making him the player he is today. Gambhir identified Jackson's talent by watching him bat in domestic cricket and believed he had the ability to make it big.
Sheldon Jackson also spoke about how he can approach Gambhir whenever he faces an issue even now. Speaking in an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda, here's what Jackson had to say about the former KKR skipper:
"Gautam Gambhir literally made me who I am today. He picked me up from a Ranji Trophy team and he backed me back then when no one knew me. He got me into KKR and groomed. He is my idol. Even till date if I want to speak to him, he is the one man I always look up to."
@GautamGambhir
Thank you so much bhaiya, for guiding me always 🙏❤️ @GautamGambhir https://t.co/DbQ6dRmJzS
Jackson also shed light on how former KKR off-spinner Harbhajan Singh mentored him when both were a part of the Kolkata setup. He added:
"Last year I connected with Harbhajan Singh when he was with KKR and he mentored me. He never needed to do that, he is a legend. But when I was not scoring and was low, it was him that I spoke to and he effortlessly used to give his time. Because of such people, you want to give yourself another try. Me and my family owe a lot to them."
Gambhir left KKR in 2018 to join Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals). Meanwhile, Harbhajan continues to be a part of the Kolkata-based franchise.
Sheldon Jackson on Shreyas Iyer's captaincy
Sheldon jackson has been around for a long time with KKR and has experienced the captaincy styles of both Gambhir and Shreyas Iyer. KKR couldn't quite make it to the playoffs in Iyer's first season (2022) as captain. However, the 35-year-old feels he has the ability to bring the glory days back to KKR.
Jackson stated:
"Both Gambhir and Shreyas are very different captains, but both have the ability to get the best out of their players. Shreyas is very young in his captaincy. But the way he is and the way he is playing, don’t be surprised if he wins championships for KKR or wherever he gets to captain."
Iyer will have quite a rebuild to do and that too possibly with a new think tank next season.