Big blow to CSK as Dwayne Bravo part ways, joins this team as...

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have hired former West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo as their new mentor following his decision to retire from professional cricket. Bravo will replace Gautam Gambhir, who relinquished his mentorship job to become the head coach of the Indian national team.

This is the first time that Bravo has been associated with KKR in any capacity, even though he has been a regular member of the Trinbago Knight Riders franchise in CPL for the past nine seasons. Besides serving as the cricketing mentor to KKR, the West Indian cricketer will also be associated with Knight Riders’ other teams across the globe, such as CPL, MLC, and ILT20.

"We are excited to have DJ Bravo on board with us. His passion for winning combined with his experience and knowledge will be a huge asset to our franchise and players,” Knight Riders Group CEO Venky Mysore said in a statement on Friday. ‘We’re also glad that Bravo will be associated with other franchises across the world, CPL, MLC, and ILT20.’

Bravo, who is a utility player and a spectacular bowler with variety, expressed his joy at joining the new team. “I have been with the Trinbago Knight Riders since the last 10 years in the CPL.” I have had the opportunity to play for and against the Knight Riders in different leagues, and I have a lot of respect for how the franchise is run,” he said.

The ex-West Indies skipper stressed on the culture of Knight Riders and said, “The passion of the owners, the professionalism of the management, and the feeling of being one big family make it unique.” This is ideal for me as I move from playing to more of a teaching role for the next generation of players.