"He wanted the number 9 involved in some way like 45 or 36"- Wasim Akram explains why KKR struggled to find hotel rooms for Gautam Gambhir
Speaking about Gautam Gambhir, former Kolkata Knight Riders bowling coach Wasim Akram recently disclosed on Sportskeeda Cricket's Match Ki Baat show that Gambhir always wanted 'number nine' in his room number.
Gambhir led KKR to two IPL championships — in 2012 and 2014. While he made life better for KKR owners, the logistics team of the franchise had a tough time dealing with the then-skipper of the team.
As per Akram, Gambhir either wanted the number nine or the sum of his room number to be equal to nine, as he believed a lot in numbers. Here's what Akram had to say about Gambhir (at the 7:05 mark):
"His image is a little different, but Gautam Gambhir is a simple, straightforward person. He is easy-going, has good sense of humor. He is too straightforward for our culture and very quiet."
"Gautam Gambhir is a fan of numbers. The team management would always have issues while finding rooms for him because he wanted the number 9 involved in some way, like 45 or 36. Like this, the number 9 had to be a part of it in some way. This is a kind of secret which I told here."
Gambhir was the captain of the KKR team from 2011 to 2017. During that period, he worked with Akram, who was a backroom staff member of the team till the 2016 season. The duo even worked together as experts for Asia Cup last year.
"I have spent a lot of time with Gautam Gambhir"- Wasim Akram shares his views on KKR mentor
As mentioned above, Wasim Akram and Gautam Gambhir have crossed paths multiple times in their careers. During the same conversation, Akram said Gambhir's leadership skills impressed him a lot.
"I have spent a lot of time with Gautam. We were together in the panel for Asia Cup as well. I think what I like about Gautam is that, as a leader, as a captain, he led from the front," Akram said at the 6:30 mark.
"We tell it just like that a captain should lead from the front, but what does it mean? It means that Gautam is the first player to report for practice, first to reach the team's bus, takes the team out of pressure situations, and he takes the game deep, fights for his side, not hiding from anywhere," said Akram.
After a two-year stint with the Lucknow Super Giants, Gambhir returned to KKR ahead of IPL 2024 as the team's mentor. Under his guidance, the team has registered five wins in seven matches so far.