Dwayne Bravo parts ways with Chennai Super Kings and joins Kolkata Knight Riders as Mentor. DJ Bravo will replace Gautam Gambhir. Expectations and challenges ahead of Bravo.
Dwayne Bravo, who is known as a T20 legend, has joined the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as a mentor. He has replaced Gautam Gambhir, who is now the head coach of Team India. Bravo has big shoes to fill as Gambhir mentored KKR to their third Indian Premier League (IPL) title earlier this year. Bravo also ended his stint with Chennai Super Kings (CSK), with whom he has four IPL titles in different capacities.
In a T20 career spanning two decades, Bravo boasts vast experience as an all-rounder who scripted many memorable victories for his national team and various T20 franchises across the world. He is currently the leading wicket-taker in T20s, with 631 scalps in 582 games. He has also scored 6970 runs with 20 fifties. He is known for his death bowling, where his slower ones are difficult to get away with. He also had a few coaching stints, most notably as a consultant coach with Afghanistan in the 2024 World T20, where the team made it to the semi-final for the first time in their history.
In his new role as the mentor of KKR, Bravo has his hands full as he is replacing Gambhir, who did a brilliant job in the same role last season. But Bravo has rich experience playing for three franchises in the IPL and is the third-highest wicket-taker of the tournament with 183 scalps in 161 matches. So, what qualities does Bravo bring to his role as a mentor? What are the immediate challenges he needs to handle?
Link between players, coaches, and owners
As a mentor, Dwayne Bravo will report directly to the franchises’ owners and update them on the team’s progress. He will also be the link between the coaches, players, and the owners or team management. Bravo needs to ensure everyone is on the same path of achieving success as a team in the forthcoming IPL season. He also has to give his input in finding replacements for Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate, the two former assistant coaches who took up roles in India’s national team. Overall, Bravo will be the face of KKR, while Chandrakant Pandit as the head coach and Bharat Arun as bowling coach will work on the team’s cricketing development.
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Squad building
Ahead of the IPL 2025 season, KKR will have to retain a few players and let others go to free the purse. They’d look to indulge in the next IPL auction and fill the gaps in the squad. The biggest challenge for Bravo will be to get the bowling unit ready. KKR had broken the bank to rope in Australia’s Mitchell Starc for Rs 24.75 crore in the last auction. Starc delivered a match-winning performance in the play-offs, paving the way for KKR’s third title.
Will KKR retain Starc to keep the core same or release him to free their purse and buy some other utility players? What bowling combination would KKR be eyeing in the next IPL season? Will KKR go all out to buy a few other cricket stars like they did in the last auction? Several questions loom as KKR prepares to walk into the auction with a new mentor.
Also, they need to get their batting combination right. They achieved great success when Sunil Narine was promoted to open the innings last season. Will they go with the same strategy as a batting unit or look for backups? Or, would they look for traditional openers? These are some challenges that would need long drawing board discussions between the mentors, coaches, and management.
Live up to KKR’s legacy
In the last IPL season, Gautam Gambhir mentored the team with self-belief, motivational speeches, and urging and pushing his players to give their best for the team. And the result was a third IPL title for KKR. As a mentor, Bravo would look to carry forward the legacy left behind by Gambhir and his men. He’d try and get the unit together to perform as a team and defend their title successfully. However, Bravo’s way of working or mentoring might be different with his unique flavour. Having played and worked as a bowling coach in the IPL would come in handy when the West Indies legend takes up his new role at KKR.
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