Gambhir's Journey Through On and Off-Field Controversies

(Gautam Gambhir shaking hands with Virat Kohli after the IPL match)

Indian cricket has seen some of the best players who have played under pressure while remaining calm and composed. However, not everyone has a personality where remaining calm and cool in the toughest situations has been helpful for them. Players like Gautam Gambhir are the perfect example who are known to play well under pressure with aggression and passion. In the game of cricket, the stories of aggression from Gautam Gambhir have always been in the news. Whether it’s fighting with the Pakistan players or standing up for his teammates during an IPL match, he has done everything on the field. However, the fights are not the only thing where he has made his name. As the top run-scorer for the Indian team in both the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup finals, he has demonstrated his ability to handle pressure effectively.

A look at Gautam Gambhir’s Cricketing career

A boy from Delhi with anger issues, Gautam Gambhir’s career started in 2003 for the Indian team when he made his ODI debut against the Bangladesh team at Dhaka. Being a left-hander stylish opener, he immediately made his impact felt. The series against Sri Lanka proved to be the game changer for him and hence went on to seal his spot in the team. The 2007 T20 World Cup was the instance where he was the second-highest run-scorer of the tournament and scored 227 runs from just 6 innings while having an average of 37.83 for the team. His innings of 75 runs from just 54 balls helped the team to post a competitive total.

(Gautam Gambhir during his 97 runs innings against Sri Lanka in the Finals of the 2011 ODI World Cup)

The period from 2007 to 2011 was the best time in the cricketing career of Gautam Gambhir. He was scoring runs against every team at that time and was even the best batter when the Indian team defeated New Zealand at their home in a test series. In the 2011 ODI World Cup, Gautam Gambhir went on to make 393 runs from the 9 innings played and the innings of 97 runs in the Finals came when India was struggling with 2 quick wickets while chasing a big total. In his career, Gautam Gambhir batted 283 times for India and scored 10,324 runs for the team. Even in his IPL career, he won 2 IPL titles with Kolkata Knight Riders and finally ended his career in 2018. Even in his IPL career, he won 2 IPL titles with Kolkata Knight Riders and finally ended his career in 2018.

FORMAT	Matches	Innings	Runs	Highest Score	Average	Strike Rate	100s	50s
Tests	58	104	4154	206	41.95	51.49	9	22
ODIs	147	143	5238	150*	39.68	85.25	11	34
T20Is	37	36	932	75	27.41	119.02	0	7

The Controversies Surrounding Gautam Gambhir

In his 15-year-long career, there have been several moments when Gautam Gambhir has lost his cool and his fights on the field and off the field have been the talk of the town. From on-field clashes with opponents to off-field controversies, Gambhir's journey has been filled with ups and downs, illustrating the challenges of managing emotions in professional sports. We will be now having a look at the incidents that have raised his temper on and off the field.

1. Gautam Gambhir and Shahid Afridi’s clash

In an interview with Irfan Pathan, he said that If India is playing against Pakistan, then only one man is needed to rile up the team and he is Gauatm Gambhir. The same thing happened in the third ODI match of the series between India and Pakistan at Kanpur in 2007 when it was a tense situation in the match for both teams. Gautam Gambhir had just got a four of Shahid Afridi’s delivery and on the next ball, Gambhir tapped the ball and ran for a single where he collided with Shahid Afridi which was a bit of a jittery situation for both the players.

(Shahid Afridi and Gautam Gambhir during an India-Pakistan match at Kanpur)

After a heated argument, both Afridi and Gambhir were fined by Referee Roshan Mahanama. Afridi received a 95% fine, while Gambhir got 65%. Gambhir was penalized for inappropriate physical contact and bringing disrepute to the game. This incident sparked controversy in cricket circles, leading to debates about player behaviour and the need for stricter rules.

2. Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli’s verbal spat

The fights of Gautam Gambhir just aren’t with the opposition players as it was the time of Indian Premier League in 2013 when Kolkata Knight Riders was playing against Royal Challengers Bangalore in a League match and for both the teams, it was a crucial match to stay in the contention. The tensions escalated when Virat Kohli was dismissed for 35 runs while attempting a shot against Lakshmipathy Balaji in the 10th over of the game. While going back to the dressing room, it seemed that Gautam Gambhir had said something to the batter which agitated him and both the players came face-to-face.

(Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli during an altercation in an IPL match)

While moving towards each other, KKR's player Rajat Bhatia came in between to separate both the players and hence it ended the fight. Virat Kohli walked back to the pavilion while Gautam Gambhir was having a word with the umpire. However, it was shocking for the fans as the duo shared a healthy relationship with each other and even in an International match, Gautam Gambhir gave his Man of the Match to Virat Kohli too.

3. Gautam Gambhir and Kamran Akmal’s face-off

Another incident where Gautam Gambhir was riled up against Pakistan was a match during the Asia Cup in 2010 when both teams were facing each other at Dambulla International Stadium Sri Lanka. While chasing a target of 268, India had a good start and it was the partnership of Gautam Gambhir and MS Dhoni that was taking them close to the target. However, a wicket would have made things in the favour of Pakistan and seeing this, the wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal was continuously appealing despite knowing that it was not out. In the over of Saeed Ajmal, Gautam Gambhir missed a delivery from Pakistan's Saeed Ajmal by a long shot. Wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal immediately appealed for a catch, but the umpire rejected it.

(Gautam Gambhir and Kamran Akmal in an altercation during an India vs Pakistan clash)

Clearly annoyed, Gambhir confronted Akmal during the drinks break about the appeal, leading to a heated argument. The situation could have escalated further if not for the intervention of MS Dhoni and the umpires. This incident created tension on the field and attracted widespread attention from cricket fans. It highlights the intensity of matches between India and Pakistan and the emotions that can arise during such contests.

4. Gautam Gambhir vs Manoj Tiwary’s typical Delhi fight

Being teammates in the Indian Premier League for Kolkata Knight Riders, Gautam Gambhir and Manoj Tiwary were involved in a fight during a match of Ranji Trophy. While playing for Bengal in the match, Tiwary entered the field without a helmet during his batting and while bringing the helmet, it took an important few minutes of the game. Looking at this, Delhi’s player Gautam Gambhir was furious and he passed a few comments to him. In his statement, he said that “Shaam ko mil tujhe maroonga” and it went viral on social media.

(Gautam Gambhir and Manoj Tiwary during a match for Kolkata Knight Riders)

However, in reply to this, even Manoj Tiwary said “Shaam kya abhi bahar chal”. This whole incident marked one of the most intense rivalries in domestic cricket. Despite attempts by umpire K Srinath to defuse the situation, Gambhir pushed him away. As a result, Gambhir was fined 50% of his match fees. This incident underscores the heated nature of cricket matches and the importance of maintaining sportsmanship.

5. Taking a dig at MS Dhoni

After his retirement, Gautam Gambhir has actively participated in the debates going on. However, the one thing that remains common is the way he targets MS Dhoni for having the credits of the 2011 ODI World Cup win. In the Finals, despite playing an amazing innings of 97 runs, MS Dhoni was adjudged Man of the Match and over the years, even fans have taken MS Dhoni as the one who gave them the World Cup. On several platforms, Gambhir has expressed his disappointment and even went on to say that “Ek chakke ne World Cup nahi jitaya”.

(Gautam Gambhir with MS Dhoni during a match for the Indian team)

Moreover, Gautam Gambhir has always been questioning MS Dhoni’s decision of the Rotation policy where the captain used to play a player in just one match and then to rest him in the next match. He believes that stability and trust in player selection are crucial for team performance. Gambhir's criticism of the rotation policy has sparked discussions within the cricketing community, with some supporting his perspective while others defend Dhoni's decisions.

6. Gambhir vs Sreesanth in an LLC Game

The 2011 ODI World Cup Indian team has got a set of players who are having some serious allegations against each other and such an instance is of Gautam Gambhir having a fight with Sreesanth during a Legends League game. While batting, Gautam Gambhir got two boundaries against Sreesanth and then on the third ball, the batter wasn’t able to connect the ball well and this is where Sreesanth said something to Gautam Gambhir. After the over was done, there was a face-off between both the players and it was stopped by the umpires.

(Gautam Gambhir and Sreesanth during their fight in an LLC game)

After the match, Sreesanth recorded a video of himself explaining what happened between the two former players of the Indian team. He said:

“Just wanted to clear the air with what happened with Mr fighter. One who always fights with all his colleagues. For no reason whatsoever. He does not even respect his senior players, including Viru bhai. That’s exactly what happened today. Without any provocation, he just kept on calling me something which was very rude which shouldn’t have been said by Mr Gautam Gambhir. I am not at all at fault here. I just wanted to clear the air straightaway. What Mr Gauti has done, sooner or later all of you will get to know. The words which he used and the things he said on a cricket field, live, is not acceptable. My family, my state, everybody has gone through so much. I fought that battle with all your support. Now people want to down me for no reason. He said things he shouldn’t have said. I will surely let you know what he said.”

(Sreesanth’s reply on an Instagram post of Gautam Gambhir)

After recording a video, Sreesanth even went to reply to Gautam Gambhir on his Instagram post where he let go of his frustration and anger toward his former teammate. Sreesanth was banned by the BCCI due to his involvement in the 2013 IPL controversy.

7. Gambhir vs Kohli during an IPL match

After having a verbal spat in 2013, Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli have always been in the news headlines. In 2023, both the players were again having a go at each other during an IPL match between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore. During the match, Virat Kohli had an altercation with Naveen-ul-Haq and Amit Mishra. After RCB won the match, the matter blew up and while Virat Kohli was having a chat with Kyle Mayers, Gautam Gambhir stepped out and took his teammate with him. To this, Virat Kohli said something to him and Gautam Gambhir replied by both of them coming face-to-face against each other.

(Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir engaged in a heated verbal spat against each other)

Later, it was revealed that the whole conversation was due to the fight that Kohli had in the match against LSG players, Amit Mishra and Naveen-ul-Haq. The words that came out were

“Gautam Gambhir: Kya bol raha hain bol.

Virat Kohli: Maine aapko kuch bola hi naahin, aap kyon ghus rahein ho?

Gautam Gambhir: Tuney agar mere player ko bola hai, matlab tune meri family ko gaali diya hai

Virat Kohli: Toh aap apne family ko sambhal ke rakhiye

Gautam Gambhir: Toh ab tu mujhe sikhayega…’

This was the whole conversation that came out during the fight between Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli during the fight. Moreover, in the video released later on, Virat Kohli was seen celebrating aggressively on the field after getting a win against the Lucknow Super Giants and hence that might have riled up Gautam Gambhir.