Gambhir, the 30-year-old hard-hitting top-order batsman hailing from Delhi, will be leading the King Khan owned IPL franchise, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Twenty20 tournament, while Bayliss will be the coach.
Speaking to media reporters on Sunday, the 49-year-old former Australian domestic cricketer said that he shares a good relationship with Gambhir, and working with him would ultimately help the side in achieving good results in the latest edition of the Twenty20 tournament.
"I met him in Sydney last year when India were playing in Australia. We had an informal talk. But I sensed that we share the same mentality and think likewise," Bayliss told the media reporters on Sunday. "I am looking forward to a successful outing with him for KKR," he added further.
This was Bayliss’ first media interaction since joining the KKR outfit. Bayliss, the former Sri Lankan coach, was appointed by KKR in January earlier this year after Dav Whatmore stepped down to join the Pakistan Cricket team in a parallel role. He is the third coach of the franchise and precedes John Buchanan and Dav Whatmore.
This will be Bayliss’ first coaching experience with an IPL side and he is excited about his new role.
"I am very excited about the IPL. It should be very interesting here. There are some strong teams in the IPL like Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Daredevils," added Bayliss.
The 49-year-old Australian was the coach of the Sydney Sixers in Australia’s inaugural Big Bash League, and he is satisfied with the KKR squad.
"We have some excellent players in our side. The talent is enormous...It will be a fresh start with a new ideas and new enthusiasm. I am looking forward to meeting the boys," he said.
IPL-5 gets underway on April 4 with the tournament opener to be played between the defending champions Chennai Super Kings and the Mumbai Indians. Knight Riders open their campaign against the Delhi Daredevils at home on April 5.
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