Feels like a dream to win the title: Gambhir

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) edged Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) by three wickets to become only the second team to win the Indian Premier League (IPL) twice, after Chennai Super Kings (CSK). It was a sensational comeback from the Men in Purple, who, at the halfway stage of the tournament, were almost written off after they managed to win just two out of their first seven games.

However, things turned around dramatically for KKR with their win over Delhi Daredevils (DD) at the Feroz Shah Kotla after which they hardly put a foot wrong.

"Absolutely! From where we were after the first seven games, this feels like a dream," said an elated Gautam Gambhir, speaking to IPLT20.com after the final.

"I was telling Vijay Dahiya (Assistant Coach) last night (Saturday, May 31) that being here for the final doesn't seem real, it's a dream. Not many people gave us a chance after the start we got. This is an unbelievable feeling," he added.

Gambhir was blessed with a baby girl during the UAE-leg of the tournament. He feels her arrival brought him all the luck as KKR turned the tables soon after and went on to become the only team in IPL history to win 9 matches in a row.

"Oh, she is, and I am lucky to have her in my life. A lot of things have changed in my life for the better after her arrival," he said.

When they had their backs against the wall, KKR played very well as a unit. When asked what made the difference, Gambhir said: "We had the individuals in the dressing room to turn it around. The first couple of games that we lost, we should have really won them. But these things happen in a tournament like this and we truly believed that if we played to our potential, it would be difficult for any side to beat us."

Robin Uthappa managed only 97 runs in the first five matches in the UAE-leg of the tournament batting in the middle-order. However, when he was promoted to open the innings against CSK in Ranchi, he made a valuable contribution and eventually went on to make a world record by becoming the only batsman in T20 history to score 40 or more in 10 consecutive matches.

"He has always been an opening batsman, and when things were not working well at the top of the order, we thought we needed someone proactive and quick so that we can be aggressive from both ends. It worked very well," said Gambhir, who was glad that the move worked extremely well for KKR as they were struggling to find the right opening combination.