Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Sunday will be aiming to add a third Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy to their cabinet when they take on Sunrisers Hyderabad at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai in the IPL 2024 final. Ahead of the big game, franchise co-owner Shah Rukh Khan recalled the "saddest moment" in KKR's history in the IPL and how Gautam Gambhir's return to the franchise as a mentor helped the side overcome the difficult phase.

Speaking to Star Sports ahead of the final, the Bollywood superstar opened up on how cricket experts' analysis "used to hurt" him back in the days when KKR had lost its rhythm and was in a poor run of form in the IPL.

"Having the nicest set of team in the world and we kept on losing only again and again," SRK said in the interview which was shared on social media. "I still remember, which was the saddest moment, kisi ne mujhe aise bola 'inka costume hi achha hai, inka game play toh achhai hai hi nahi' (someday said to me 'only their playing kit is nice, not their game'). I remember some expert talking this. It used to hurt. To come back with GG (Gautam Gambhir) and do this was outstanding. It taught us how to lose but never be losers and never give up hope. Sports teaches you that," Shah Rukh said.

Notably, Gambhir had led Kolkata to two IPL trophy titles as a captain back in 2012 and 2014. In 2024, he moved back to the franchise as a mentor from Lucknow Super Giants after Kolkata finished seventh in both the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

In the ongoing IPL tournament, Kolkata finished top of the table with nine wins in 14 league games before defeating Sunrisers in Qualifier 1 to become the first team in the season to make the final. In the summit clash, they will have a chance to repeat their Ahmedabad script against Pat Cummins' men and win the IPL trophy for the third time in history.

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