Loved working for 'competitor' Gautam Gambhir, says Phil Salt
What's the story
Star England batter Phil Salt has publicly expressed his admiration for Gautam Gambhir, the incumbent Indian cricket team head coach. He credited Gambhir's guidance for his successful performance in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) edition. Salt was a key player for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), where Gambhir served as their mentor. The Gambhir-Shreyas Iyer duo led KKR to their third IPL title.
Mentorship
Salt shares valuable advice from Gambhir
Salt spoke highly of his time under Gambhir's mentorship during the recently-held CEAT Cricket Rating Awards. He described the former Indian opener as a "competitor" and expressed his elation in working with him throughout the IPL. "What a competitor. I could really relate to him from that point of view," Salt said about Gambhir. He also revealed the most impactful advice he received from Gambhir was to "take the game deep, especially here in India."
IPL contribution
Salt's impressive performance in IPL 2024
Despite missing the IPL 2024 playoffs due to national duties, Salt made a significant impact in the tournament. In 12 matches, the English batter hammered 435 runs at an incredible strike rate of 182. He averaged 39.55 with the bat. Salt formed a formidable opening pair with Sunil Narine, who also went berserk in the Powerplay. The duo's powerful batting was instrumental in their journey to reclaiming their title.
Information
CEAT Men's T20I Batter of the Year
As reported earlier, Salt has been adjudged the CEAT Men's T20I Batter of the Year. The English opener has been in sublime form in the shortest format of late. He struck at a staggering 159.32 in what turned out to be a low-scoring 2024 ICC T20 World Cup.