From divided loyalties to united passion- How Kolkata Knight Riders and Gautam Gambhir won over a city's heart against its favourite son
It was May 5, 2012, a date etched in the annals of Kolkata's cricketing history. Eden Gardens, Kolkata's grand old stadium, wore a look never seen before. Sourav Ganguly, the city's beloved son, walked in — but not in purple. He was leading Pune Warriors India against the Kolkata Knight Riders. For the first time, Kolkata's crowd was torn between their team and their prince. Loyalty tugged at every heartstring in the stands. The ground, known for its deafening passion, now buzzed with a mix of emotions. Half cheered for Ganguly. Half for Gambhir's KKR. It felt less like a cricket match and more like a civil war in the stands, a battle of the heart.
Eden had felt heartbreak before. In 1996, fans hurled bottles when India crumbled in the World Cup. When Ganguly was ousted after the infamous 'Chappell saga', the city had boycotted matches. Once, they even cheered for South Africa just because Ganguly wasn't in India's eleven. For Kolkata, Dada was never just a cricketer. He was a revolution in whites and blues. Now, watching him in enemy colours felt like a twist of fate. It was loyalty on trial. And the stands hummed with both love and betrayal.
Ganguly had been the first face of KKR when IPL began. He had given the team its soul. When the franchise didn't retain him in 2011, it left a scar. "No Dada, No KKR" banners popped up everywhere. Home matches saw rows of empty seats. It was as if Eden itself had gone silent. When Pune Warriors, a new team in the IPL, came calling, Ganguly found a new home. But for Kolkata, he never stopped being theirs. On that night in 2012, they came in droves — not for the jersey, but for the man who wore it.
Gautam Gambhir carried an invisible burden. Taking over from Ganguly was never going to be easy. He had built a strong team and steered KKR into contenders, yet the shadow loomed. That night, the stadium was split right down the middle. Pune's blue and KKR's purple wrestled for dominance. It felt like the city had cracked open. Gambhir later confessed the emotions of that evening stayed with him forever. A hotel staffer had whispered to him before the match, "KKR is family. We are with you till our last breath." Those words lit a fire inside him.
The atmosphere that night was not unlike Kolkata's football wars. East Bengal and Mohun Bagan fans tearing friendships apart for ninety minutes. Here, too, cricket turned into more than a game. Families sat together wearing different shirts. Cheers for KKR clashed with roars for Ganguly. It wasn't violence — it was passion overflowing. Every six, every wicket sparked raw emotion. The walls of Eden shook with a fierce yet familiar rivalry. It was as if football's oldest rivalry had found a new playground.
The match unfolded like a drama scripted for legends. KKR raced to a strong start but stumbled midway. When Pune's chase faltered, Eden held its breath. At 55 for five, Ganguly emerged. The gladiator returned to his old arena. He battled Sunil Narine's magic deliveries and fought past four consecutive dots. Then came flashes of brilliance — a lofted drive, a cheeky dab. The crowd roared louder than ever before. But time had taken its toll. A mistimed pull ended his knock at 36. He walked off to a thunderous, bittersweet applause — a hero, forever.
KKR eventually sealed a seven-run victory. The celebrations were muted, touched with emotion. It was a win but also a farewell. After the final ball, Shah Rukh Khan embraced Ganguly in a warm hug. The Bollywood star then took a lap on the ground, waving at fans and exchanging smiles and laughs with Ganguly. Eden Gardens, usually fierce, turned tender that night. It was not just about cricket anymore. It was about memories, love, loyalty, and letting go. The city's prince had lost the match but won the heart — yet again. And Eden, that night, stood taller for it.
