There’s no doubt that players like Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, etc, have created names that will go down in the history of the sport through their sheer excellence, training, and passion for cricket. However, India wouldn’t have earned his international status in the cricketing world if it wasn’t for the batting prowess and leadership skills of Gautam Gambhir. That said, this article is a walk down memory lane of Gambhir’s transition from being a typical Delhi boy to becoming one of the most influential names in cricket and Indian politics. Follow us for such articles on cricketing legends, their history, and records, and get the latest cricket sports update.
Early Life and Background
Born on 14th October 1981, in the capital city of India, Delhi, Gambhir’s love affair with the sport started early in his life. He was born in an influential household in Delhi. His father, Mr. Deepak Gambhir, ran a successful textile-based business, which accounted for his family’s comfortable lifestyle.
At 10, Gambhir picked up his first-ever cricket bat, and the rest is history. He started playing cricket for his school and also represented his school in many inter-school competitions. His cricket journey was going pretty smoothly, and although he started getting recognition in the domestic cricket circuit, he completed his graduation from the University of Delhi.
Domestic Cricket Career of Gautam Gambhir
Gauti’s ability to play big innings and score boundaries effortlessly in domestic cricket tournaments caught the attention of selectors and board members. Since his first-class debut in 1999, Gauti scored a total of 15,153 runs at an average close to 50. In his two-decade-long domestic cricket career, he has made over 10,000 List-A runs from his 299 appearances. Gambhir’s T20 stats perfectly display the player’s ability to mold himself according to the format of the game. From his 251 T20 appearances, he scored 6,402 runs at an average of 28.96 and a strike rate of over 120. Not only that, but the player also has his name among the few Indian cricketers with over 40 first-class centuries to their names.
International Cricket Career of Gautam Gambhir
Gambhir stepped into the international cricket scene with an ODI against Bangladesh in Dhaka, wherein he came as an opener for India alongside Virender Sehwag. The domestic cricket superstar, however, failed to live up to the expectations by getting out in an attempt to score a boundary. The 2004 Australia tour witnessed Gambhir represent India for the first time in Test cricket. The player, however, delivered an underwhelming performance, as he made his way back to the pavilion within the first two overs into the game.
He smashed two centuries each against Bangladesh and New Zealand and one against Australia. As per his Test records, the player has smashed two centuries each against New Zealand, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, while countries like Australia and England only had to face the player’s wrath once.
Gauti’s ODI comeback against Sri Lanka during the 2009 Sri Lanka tour of India will go down in history as one of his most memorable international performances. Sri Lanka, after winning the coin toss, elected to bat first and were able to build a massive run-chase of 315 from their 50 overs. India, on the other hand, had to bear the shock of losing two of its most prized possessions within the first 12 balls into the game. The Gambhir-Kohli duo, known for their heated altercation today, scored over 250 runs and led India to victory.
The 2007-2008 periods witnessed the peak of Gambhir’s success, as the player was unstoppable with his attacking batting strokes. He came off as the most successful batsman in the CB Series Down Under in 2008. One of the most crucial moments in his career was during the 2010 ODI World Cup, and the cricketer did not disappoint with his batting excellence and hunger for runs.
His performances in the shortest format of the game were a treat to watch, as the player possessed the ability to smash boundaries effortlessly. Gauti’s T20I career wasn’t as long as his ODI or Test career, as the player only made 37 T20I appearances between the years 2007 and 2012. He was the only one of the eleven players to score over 60 runs in the only T20 against Australia in 2007. If it wasn’t for Gambhir’s dedication and his ability to stick to the pitch, India would have easily lost the 2012 T20 series against Australia. He played an instrumental role in India’s final victory against Pakistan during the 2007 ICC T20 World Cup by scoring 75 runs at a strike rate of 138.88 as an opener. Overall, the former Indian player has scored 932 T20I runs from his 37 appearances.
Indian Premier League
Gambhir was already at the peak of his international career when the 20-over Indian Premier League was introduced. Despite it being the inaugural season, the Kolkata-based franchise (Kolkata Knight Riders) showed immense faith in Gauti’s cricketing abilities and bought him as the most expensive player of the season. Gambhir kept the faith of Kolkata fans by smashing over 500 runs from his 14 campaigns for the team. His performance in the next two IPL seasons for KKR was not as promising as his IPL debut. Gambhir, however, did not let the bad seasons affect him and emerged as one of the highest run-scorers of the 2012 IPL seasons by batting at an average of 39.33. With a respectable strike rate of 142, Gauti smashed a total of 500 runs at the end of the season.
Post his 2012 IPL success, the player continued scoring big hits for the Kolkata-based franchise. His scores in the next three seasons read: 406, 335, and 327. The cricketer made another powerful comeback in the 2016 IPL season by smashing over 500 runs in the entire season at an impressive batting average. The 2018 IPL edition witnessed the Kolkata loyalist adorn the KKR jersey for the last time. Overall, Gambhir has scored more than 4000 runs in his ten-year-long IPL career.
