In addition to playing for Delhi in domestic cricket and the Delhi Daredevils and Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League, Gautam was a left-handed opening batter for India (IPL). He participated in his first One Day International (ODI) game against Bangladesh in 2003.
He played his first Test match against Australia the following year. He captained the Indian side in six One-Day Internationals from late 2010 to late 2011, which India won each time. In 2012, the Kolkata Knight Riders won the IPL title for the first time under Gambhir’s direction. In 2014, they won the title once more.
Gambhir was born in New Delhi to Seema Gambhir and business manager Deepak Gambhir. Gambhir began playing cricket when he was ten years old. In 2000, Gambhir was included for the National Cricket Academy’s first ever batch in Bangalore.
He served as the domestic cheque that would not be honoured on an international level for the first eight years or so of his tenure. While bowlers on the Ranji circuit extolled his virtues, after 32 games and being excluded from the 2007 World Cup, he had only two international century to his credit.
Between 2005 and 2007, Gambhir participated in a handful of One Day Internationals for India while being absent from the Test team. He returned with significant runs in domestic cricket, some significant technical improvements, and the reputation of being the finest spin player in India outside of the international side. But he was not chosen for the 2007 World Cup.
His return to Test cricket was made possible by a century in his second ODI back and a championship-winning 75 in the inaugural T20 World Cup. He knew he belonged at the top level after scoring fifty runs in test match against Muthiah Muralidaran and Ajantha Mendis in 2008.
He scored eight hundreds between October 2008 and February 2010 to help teams win, bat them out, and cling on for draws. This included an almost 11-hour marathon innings in challenging conditions at Napier. He managed half-centuries or more in 11 consecutive Tests during this time, matching Viv Richards’ record.
The ICC crowned him the Test player of the year in 2009. The fellow opener Sehwag dubbed him the best Indian Test opener after Sunil Gavaskar. The Arjuna award, India’s second-highest sporting honour, came his way for his performances and contributions.
In the 2011 World Cup final, Gambhir scored the game-winning 97 runs. But after that match, a more serious, almost irreversible slide started. He was a walking wicket in England and Australia, when India lost eight straight Test matches, prodding at balls outside off.
He received the 2009 ICC Test Player of the Year award, and for a brief period, he held the top batsman position in the ICC rankings. He was unbelievably crucial to India’s major victories in the World Twenty20 finals in 2007 (75 runs from 54 balls) and the 2011 Cricket World Cup (97 from 122).
On 3rd December, 2018, Gautam Gambhir retired from all formats of Cricket. He finished his first class career with a century in the last innings for Delhi.
Read more: Cricket legends of India All Time
Tim Southee's Dedication to Test Cricket: Leading New Zealand on the Subcontinental Tour In an…
ICC's Pitch Ratings for the 2024 T20 World Cup: Controversy and Criticism The 2024 T20…
Jasprit Bumrah's Crucial Role in India's Upcoming Test Series Against Australia As India prepares for…
After former cricket players approached Jay Shah, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, and Sehwag might receive…
I would rather fail than play it safe, both in life and in cricket: Ashwin…
Robin Uthappa Backs Gautam Gambhir's Leadership Despite India's ODI Series Loss to Sri Lanka In…
