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Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir, now a Member of Parliament, has etched his name in the history books with crucial knocks in the finals of both the 2007 ICC World T20 and the 2011 ODI World Cup. Apart from this, he has also captained the IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders – of whom, he’s also a mentor now – to two IPL triumphs in 2012 and 2014.
Despite such a glorious career, Gambhir has always found himself in controversies. Be it his bold remarks on AB de Villiers or MS Dhoni, Indian cricket’s GG has never held back on dishing out thoughts and actions that’d stir controversy. Recently, his on-field heated exchange with former Indian pacer S Sreesanth reminded fans of how Gambhir has over the years been involved in such controversies.
Gautam Gambhir vs Virat Kohli in IPL
Despite representing the same country, these two have been found confronting each other during their encounters in IPL. It all dates back to 2013 when Gambhir’s Kolkata Knight Riders faced Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru. During the match at Chinnaswamy, tension flared as Gambhir seemingly exchanged words with Kohli after the latter’s dismissal. Kohli, visibly displeased, confronted Gambhir, leading to a face-to-face confrontation. The heated exchange required intervention from Rajat Bhatia, a former KKR player.
Three years later, tensions reignited between Gambhir and Kohli. The left-handed batsman threw the ball towards Kohli’s end when a run-out was implausible. The ugliest one happened in 2023, post an IPL game between Lucknow SuperGiants and RCB, where Gambhir, as LSG mentor, accused Kohli of sledging players.
Gautam Gambhir vs Kamran Akmal
In the 2010 Asia Cup’s fourth match in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Gambhir and Pakistan’s wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal engaged in a heated confrontation. After Gambhir was caught behind off Saeed Ajmal, a verbal exchange escalated between him and Akmal. The situation intensified to the point where the then Indian captain MS Dhoni had to intervene and defuse the altercation.
Gautam Gambhir vs Shahid Afridi
In the 2007 bilateral ODI series in Kanpur, Gambhir and Afridi found themselves in a heated altercation. While running down the pitch, they collided, leading to an argument. The nature of the collision, whether intentional or accidental, remained uncertain. Regardless, the incident joined the list of on-field controversies associated with Gambhir.
Gautam Gambhir vs Shane Watson
In the third Test of the 2008 Border-Gavaskar series, Gambhir, in the prime of his career, scored a remarkable 206. However, during the innings, he collided with Shane Watson while taking a second run leading to a series of verbal exchanges. The incident led to Gambhir receiving a one-match ban for violating the ICC Code of Conduct.
Gautam Gambhir vs S Sreesanth
The heated exchange took place during a match in Legends League Cricket in Surat. The confrontation began when Sreesanth gave Gambhir a prolonged stare, prompting Gambhir to reciprocate. The tensions escalated to a face-to-face confrontation during a critical moment in the match.
After the game, Sreesanth took to Instagram, disclosing that Gambhir had referred to him as a ‘fixer’. To put things in context, Sreesanth was found guilty of spot-fixing during IPL 2013.
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