Table of Contents
One of the most talented, yet underrated cricketers of our time, Gautam Gambhir bid adieu to the game in December 2018. He is an Indian politician and a former cricketer, Gambhir started his career with a bang and displayed immense potential, right from the beginning. Gambhir may not have unattainable records like Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, but he sure has memorable performances. His World Cup knocks will be discussed by generations and will always hold a special place in Indian fans. In this blog, we will take a look at the life of former cricketer Gautam Gambhir, his age, career, stats, IPL, net worth, family, etc.
Gautam Gambhir – The Biography
| Name | Gautam Gambhir |
|---|---|
| Born | October 14, 1981 |
| Place of Birth | New Delhi, India |
| Batting Style | Left-handed |
| Bowling Style | Right-arm leg break |
| Role | Opening batsman, occasional wicket-keeper |
| Teams Played | India, Delhi, Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals |
| Test Debut | November 3, 2004 vs Australia |
| Last Test | November 29, 2016 vs England |
| ODI Debut | April 11, 2003 vs Bangladesh |
| Last ODI | March 26, 2012 vs Pakistan |
| T20I Debut | December 13, 2006 vs South Africa |
| Last T20I | October 2, 2012 vs Pakistan |
| IPL Debut | April 20, 2008 vs Deccan Chargers |
| Last IPL | May 13, 2018 vs Mumbai Indians |
| IPL Teams | Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Daredevils, Delhi Capitals |
| Awards |
|
How It All Began for Gambhir
Cricket became an integral part of Gautam Gambhir’s life when he was in school. He was around ten years old when he first picked up the cricket bat. He soon realized how much he loved the game and decided to pursue professional training. Gambhir joined the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru in 2000 and his cricketing career set off in the right direction.
The Journey
Gautam Gambhir scored more than 10,000 international runs in his spectacular career. He will always be remembered for scripting world cup victories for the Indian team in 2007 as well as 2011.
As a left-handed opening batsman as well as the captain of the Delhi Daredevils team in the Indian Premier League, Gambhir has had some classic knocks. Gambhir has 4,154 runs in Test cricket, 5,238 runs in ODIs, and 932 in Twenty20 Internationals.
Gambhir made his Test cricket debut in 2004 against Australia. His first century came against Bangladesh. The next year was a very successful period of his cricketing career. He scored one century after another. Gambhir’s performance in Test cricket dipped after the year 2010.
Gambhir’s ODI career started peaking after 2007. He was in top form during the World Cup and played crucial knocks. His top score of 97 in the final was the cherry on the cake.
Also Read: Triple Century in Test Cricket: Know The Players Who Touched Milestone
Gautam Gambhir- IPL
In the first edition of the Indian Premier League, Gambhir was signed on by the Delhi Daredevils for US$725,000 a year. In the year 2010, he captained the side. He had a terrific run in the tournament and became the only player from Delhi Daredevils to score more than 1000 runs in the series.
The following year, he was picked up by the Kolkata Knight Riders for US$2.4 million. With this record-breaking price, he became the highest-paid cricketer in the history of IPL. Gambhir led the team to their first tournament title in 2012.
Another title followed in the year 2014. Kolkata Knight Riders performed well consistently in the next few years as well. The team reached playoffs in 2016 and 2017 as well.
Gambhir’s IPL circle came a full circle in 2018 as he was signed by the Delhi Daredevils again. However, this time the team couldn’t perform well and Gambhir decided to step down from the captainship.
He was Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)’s mentor during the recently-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022.
Gambhir’s spat with Kohli
Both Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir are Delhi lads and have been playing together in various teams over years. The similarity doesn’t end here. Both are known for extreme passion for the game as well as temper. This has resulted in some spats between the two. The first one took place during an IPL match in 2013. Another similar incident followed in 2015.
In 2016, when Gambhir was snubbed during a test series against New Zealand, he tweeted an indirect message to captain Kohli.
I'm disappointed but not defeated; I'm cornered but not a coward. Grit my partner, courage my pride…for, I must fight, I must fight…
— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) September 12, 2016
Also Read | Top 5 batters to complete 25000 runs in international cricket
Both players have dismissed all incidences as on-field in-the-heat moments.
Recently, Gautam said the obsession with top stars like Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, and Kapil Dev should stop and everyone from the broadcasters to the media should focus on other performers too. He said,
“Don’t create monsters in the dressing room. The only monster should be Indian cricket, not an individual. If you keep talking about one person day in and day out, it eventually becomes a brand. That is how it was in 1983. Why start from Dhoni? It started in 1983. When India won the first World Cup, it was all about Kapil Dev. When we won in 2007 and 2011, it was Dhoni. Who created that? None of the players did. Nor did the BCCI. Have the news channels and broadcasters ever spoken about Indian cricket? Have we ever spoken that Indian cricket needs to flourish? “
Recently, in an IPL 2023 match of RCB vs LSG, the duo once again engaged in an ugly spat. They have also been heavily fined for breaching the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 Code of Conduct after the on-field fight. The IPL fined Gambhir and Kohli 100% of their match fees for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct, and both players admitted to the Level 2 offence under Article 2.21 of the code.
2015 World Cup Snub
Gambhir has time and again cleared that there was never any bad blood between him and MS Dhoni. However, his omission from the 2015 World Cup team, hurt him a lot. Gambhir was a key player for team India in the 2011 World Cup win. Hence, it was shocking that he never got another chance to represent his country on the highest pedestal.
“Some players who played with me got the opportunity to play in 2-3 World Cups. While I got to live that feeling only once, I am happy that the experience ended with the team winning the title. When someone plays a key role in helping the team earn the title, he should be given an opportunity to defend it too. It’s sad that I couldn’t be a part of the 2015 World Cup,” he told NBT in an exclusive interview.
Also Read | Sarfaraz Khan Biography | The Next Big Thing in Indian Cricket!
Gautam Gambhir Controversy
Gautam Gambhir had criticized the captaincy decisions taken by Mahendra Singh Dhoni during the 2012 CB series. It was a forgettable tour for the Indian team as they had been blanked in 4-match Test series and then did not have an entirely convincing tri-series that followed.
The Indian team had three openers in Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, and Sachin Tendulkar in the side and the captain made it clear that he could only play two players in the side to give more opportunities to the youngsters before the 2015 World Cup, a decision which did not sit well with Gambhir.
“In the 2012 Tri-series in Australia, Dhoni declared that he can’t play all three (Gambhir, Sachin, and, Sehwag) of us together as he was looking ahead at the 2015 World Cup. It was a massive shock, I think it would have been a massive shock for any cricketer. I have not heard anyone is told in 2012 that they would never be a part of the 2015 World Cup. I always had the impression that if you keep scoring runs, age is a just a number,” Gambhir told India Today.
Gautam Gambhir Retirement
In December 2018, Gautam Gambhir declared retirement from all forms of cricket. Through a short and sweet message to the entire world through social media, the world cup hero bid adieu to the game.
[Tweet ““After more than 15 years of cricket for my country I want to retire from playing this beautiful game. Despite all the aches and pains; fears and failures, I won’t mind a repeat of this in my next life too. But obviously, with a few more wins for India, a few more hundreds and in the next life may be a few five-wicket hauls as well.””]
The most difficult decisions are often taken with the heaviest of hearts.
— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) December 4, 2018
And with one heavy heart, I’ve decided to make an announcement that I’ve dreaded all my life.
➡️https://t.co/J8QrSHHRCT@BCCI #Unbeaten
Thanks @narendramodi @PMOIndia for the kind words. Nothing of this would have been possible without love and support of our fellow countrymen. All these deeds are dedicated to our country. pic.twitter.com/3P3HcViIJ5
— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) December 16, 2018
Honesty, Integrity & Accountability will be the face of Delhi in 2025 elections! @IndianExpress pic.twitter.com/4OFBZkIHmR
— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) September 19, 2022
A Career in Politics
Gautam Gambhir is an Indian politician and a current member of the Lok Sabha since 2019.
He contested the Lok Sabha elections 2019 on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket from the Delhi East constituency and secured an emphatic victory. He received the Padma Shri from the Government of India in 2019, the fourth highest civilian award in India.
Gambhir has always been proactive in vocalizing his anguish about parties in power. He has time and again brought several issues into the limelight through twitter.
Family Background
Gautam Gambhir was born in an upper-middle-class Punjabi family. His father, Aazeen Gambhir is a textile businessman and his mother, Anaiza Gambhir is a homemaker. Gambhir has one younger sister, Ekta. The family is based in Delhi.
Also Read | All Cricket Fielding Positions Names and Explanation
Personal Life
Gautam Gambhir and Natasha Jain were family friends for quite some time. Soon, they fell in love and got married in October 2011. The couple had a traditional Punjabi wedding. Natasha was attracted to Gambhir’s easy-going nature and she ensures that he stays grounded as he is. The lovely couple is blessed with two angelic daughters.
Unknown facts about Gautam Gambhir
- Gautam Gambhir’s hobbies include playing badminton, listening to music and doing yoga.
- Sourav Ganguly is Gambhir’s favorite cricketer.
- Gambhir’s favorite movies include Kahaani, Vicky Donor, Pan Singh Tomar.
- He loves to hog on rajma chawal, butter chicken, and dahi bhalla.
- Jagjit Singh is his favorite singer and Sylvester Stallone is favorite actor.
- United Kingdom remains his all-time favorite foreign destination.
- Gambhir would have joined the Indian Army if he wasn’t a cricketer.
- He is extremely inspired by Bhagat Singh and Mother Teresa.
Gautam Gambhir Net Worth
Gautam Gambhir’s net worth is around INR 250 crore in 2023. His last salary in IPL was 2.8 crore rupees. Gambhir has an interesting car collection that includes a BMW Gran Turismo.
Gautam Gambhir Records
He is the only Indian cricketer to score centuries in five consecutive Test matches. There are only three other international cricketers who have achieved this feat.
Gautam Gambhir is the only Indian to score centuries in five consecutive Tests. Against New Zealand in March 2009 in which Gambhir scored 137, and his century streak continued till January 2010, with consecutive scores of 167, 114, 167 and 116. He smashed 9 Test centuries in 58 Matches.
Also Read: Gautam Gambhir Stats
Gautam Gambhir Batting and fielding Stats
| Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100 | 50 | 4s | 6s | Ct | St | |
| Tests | 58 | 104 | 5 | 4154 | 206 | 41.95 | 8067 | 51.49 | 9 | 22 | 518 | 10 | 38 | 0 |
| ODIs | 147 | 143 | 11 | 5238 | 150* | 39.68 | 6144 | 85.25 | 11 | 34 | 561 | 17 | 36 | 0 |
| T20Is | 37 | 36 | 2 | 932 | 75 | 27.41 | 783 | 119.02 | 0 | 7 | 109 | 10 | 11 | 0 |
| First-class | 198 | 331 | 24 | 15153 | 233* | 49.35 | 43 | 68 | 107 | 0 | ||||
| List A | 299 | 292 | 19 | 10077 | 151 | 36.91 | 21 | 60 | 79 | 0 | ||||
| T20s | 251 | 245 | 24 | 6402 | 93 | 28.96 | 5309 | 120.58 | 0 | 53 | 747 | 90 | 51 | 0 |
Gautam Gambhir Bowling Stats
| Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10 | |
| Tests | 58 | 1 | 12 | 4 | 0 | – | – | – | 2.00 | – | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ODIs | 147 | 1 | 6 | 13 | 0 | – | – | – | 13.00 | – | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T20Is | 37 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| First-class | 198 | 397 | 281 | 7 | 3/12 | 40.14 | 4.24 | 56.7 | 0 | 0 | |||
| List A | 299 | 37 | 36 | 1 | 1/7 | 1/7 | 36.00 | 5.83 | 37.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| T20s | 251 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Social Media
Gautam Gambhir Twitter
A very happy birthday to the man who has redefined the meaning of being an Indian for every Indian. May god bless Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi Ji with a long & healthy life! 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/7OabVYarOX
— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) September 17, 2022
Don’t change your passion, change circumstances! #Vision pic.twitter.com/hW7LFCr3IQ
— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) September 13, 2022
Me and my new ‘captain’ thanking the most important stakeholders at Ferozeshah Kotla. Thanks for all your wishes and support. @BCCI @BCCIdomestic @natashagambhir2 pic.twitter.com/P63i1ygSLD
— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) December 9, 2018
Anaiza to Aazeen: Didi, how did papa celebrate Children’s Day?
— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) November 14, 2018
Aazeen replied: Well, today in the Ranji Trophy match he got run out like a kid!!!!
Papa: 🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈 @natashagambhir2 #ChildrensDay pic.twitter.com/qUDKXgFYht
#2019 is the last ‘teen’ year of my life. So let’s resolve to make mistakes but not repeat them; make mistakes but learn from them; if you have dreams, go chase them. #Happy_New_Year_2019 #HappyNewYears #HappyNewYear #HappyNewYears2019 pic.twitter.com/DYho0XqJqv
— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) January 1, 2019
Read More | IPL Records | Most Run in IPL: Top 30 Batsmen With Highest Runs in IPL
Gautam Gambhir smashed 9 Test centuries in 58 Matches.
In 2023, Gautam Gambhir’s net worth is around INR 250 crore.
Gautam Gambhir played for several teams during his cricketing career, including the Indian national cricket team, Delhi, Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals), Kolkata Knight Riders, etc.
