Team India discard and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Gautam Gambhir on Wednesday said his primary aim is to score runs for the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise and help his team win rather than think about a comeback to the national side.
Two-time winners Kolkata sit comfortably at the top of the points table with eight points from five games, having won four and lost just one. Kolkata face defending champions Mumbai Indians in a high-octane clash at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday.
“When it comes to making a comeback, I have said this number of times that, at the moment, I am concentrating on getting runs for KKR, that’s my primary job and try help KKR win,” Gambhir said at the pre-match press conference here.
“Rest the other things, comeback, no comeback other things are all by products of what I do in the IPL. My job is to play well for KKR and help them win and score runs. Hope I can continue that way.”
“Rest I don’t think too much about it as that’s how I have played my game. When I have played Ranji Trophy, people asked me the same thing. I have said the same thing, that when I play for Delhi, my job is to play well and help Delhi win,” the left-handed batsman added.
The 34-year-old praised off-spinner Sunil Narine, after the West Indian returned to IPL action following a change in bowling action.
“For Narine am very happy. He has showed a lot of character. Because the toughest thing for a bowler is when he remodels his action and comeback and plays a format like T20. In Tests a bowler gets time to make a comeback and bowl a second spell if he doesn’t bowl well in the first.”
“In T20 it is just four overs an he knows batsmen will go after him. The way he has handled himself, he is mentally strong. We will definitely see the best of him in the coming games,” he said.
Speaking on the impact of the cash-rich T20 tournament specially on the Indian domestic players, Gambhir said, “The attitude has gone up for sure. Youngsters don’t fear anything now, because when you play against the best and with the best you learn a lot of things. The fear factor goes out of the window. It has been good for Indian cricket.”
“It is a great platform, where lot of domestic players are picked through the IPL. It is a great exposure as well. Quality of cricket in IPL is very tough,” the KKR skipper said.