Gautam Gambhir (born 14 October 1981) is an Indian former international cricketer, former politician, philanthropist, and the current head coach of the Indian cricket team in all formats. He received the Padma Shri from the Government of India in 2019, the fourth-highest civilian award in India.
Early Life and Background
- Full Name: Gautam Gambhir
- Date of Birth: October 14, 1981
- Birthplace: New Delhi, India
- Role: Batsman
- Batting Style: Left-Handed Batsman
- Bowling Style: Right-arm leg break
- Test Cap No.: 249
- ODI Cap No. :149
- Shirt No. :5
Gambhir was born into a Punjabi Hindu Khatri family in New Delhi. His grandfather originally came from Multan (Pakistan ) to Delhi in 1947 after the Indo-Pak separation. His father Deepak Gambhir manages a textiles business, and his mother Seema Gambhir, is a housewife. He has one sister Ekta, who is two years younger than him. Gambhir was adopted by his maternal grandparents eighteen days after his birth and lived with them ever since.
He has done his schooling from Modern School, New Delhi. Gambhir started playing cricket at the age of 10. Gambhir was coached by Sanjay Bharadwaj of Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy in Delhi and Raju Tandon.
Domestic Career
- First-Class Debut: Gambhir made his first-class debut for Delhi in the 1999-2000 season.
Gambhir’s journey as a first-class cricketer began in the 1999-2000 season. But, it was a couple of years later, in the year 2002, that this Delhi boy first stole the spotlight. Then playing for the Board President’s XI against a touring Zimbabwe team, Gautam Gambhir smashed a double century scoring 218 runs. A year later, came the big moment Gambhir secured his place in the Indian team for the TVS Cup, a triangular fixture.
- Domestic Teams: Delhi, India Red, Delhi Daredevils (IPL), Kolkata Knight Riders (IPL).
International Career
- ODI Debut: April 11, 2003, against Bangladesh
- Test Debut: November 3, 2004, against Australia
- T20I Debut: September 13, 2007, against Scotland
Batting Style
- Role: Opening batsman
- Batting Style: Left-handed
Brief captaincy
In 2010, Gambhir was appointed captain of the national team in the ODI series against New Zealand which was hosted by India. In the third match, he scored an unbeaten 126 in Vadodara to help seal the series, guiding the hosts to victory in the run-chase.
Major Achievements
- 2007 ICC T20 World Cup:
- Played a crucial role in India’s victory.
- Scored 75 runs in the final against Pakistan.
- In the tournament, he became India’s top run scorer, with 227 at an average of 37.83, including three half-centuries which included a crucial 75 runs off 54 balls against Pakistan in the final.
- He was named in the ‘Team of the Tournament’ by ESPNcricinfo for the 2007 T20I World Cup.
- 2008-09 Test Series against New Zealand:
- Scored 137 and 167 in the series.
- Named ICC Test Player of the Year in 2009.
- 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup:
- Top-scored in the final against Sri Lanka with 97 runs, playing a key role in India’s World Cup victory.
- He had a good partnership first with Kohli, and then a match-winning partnership of 109 runs with MS Dhoni.
- Indian Premier League (IPL):
- Led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014.
- Known for his aggressive captaincy and consistent performance.
- Was the mentor of KKR, when they won IPL IN 2024
Gautam Gambhir Stats
Personal Life
- Marriage: Married Natasha Jain in 2011.
- Kids: Gautam Gambhir and Natasha Jan welcomed their first daughter Aazeen, born in 2014, and their second daughter Anaiza, born, in June 2017
- Philanthropy: Actively involved in various charitable activities and initiatives. The Gautam Gambhir Foundation is the philanthropic initiative of Gautam Gambhir. It was started in 2014 and is based out of Delhi. In 2020, he announced a scheme to provide free meals to the needy in his constituency. The scheme is called “Gambhir ki Rasoi.”
Retirement
- Announcement: Gambhir announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on December 4, 2018.
- Final Match: He Played his last match for Delhi against Andhra in the Ranji Trophy on December 6, 2018, scoring a century.” Ahead of his final match for the Delhi cricket team against the Andhra cricket team in the Ranji Trophy on 6 December 2018, Gambhir went on to score 112 in his final innings, his 43rd century in first-class cricket.
Awards
He was conferred the Arjuna Award, India’s second-highest sporting award, in the year 2008 by the President of India.
In 2009, he was the number one ranked batsman in the ICC Test rankings.
The same year (2009), he was the recipient of the ICC Test Player of the Year award.
He received the Padma Shri from the Government of India in 2019, the fourth-highest civilian award in India.
Post-Retirement
- Commentary and Analysis: Gambhir has been involved in cricket commentary and analysis.
- Political Career: Joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in March 2019 and won the 2019 general elections from the East Delhi constituency. Gautam won the elections by 695,109 votes against Atishi Marlena and Arvinder Singh Lovely. On 2 March 2024, he announced his departure from politics and Bharatiya Janata Party.
Gambhir as Head Coach
The opening batsman Gautam Gambhir was named head coach of the Indian cricket team by the BCCI, on 9th July 2024. He succeeds Rahul Dravid in this role and faces the challenges of maintaining the team’s momentum following their recent 2024 T20 World Cup Victory.
It is with immense pleasure that I welcome Mr @GautamGambhir as the new Head Coach of the Indian Cricket Team. Modern-day cricket has evolved rapidly, and Gautam has witnessed this changing landscape up close. Having endured the grind and excelled in various roles throughout his… pic.twitter.com/bvXyP47kqJ
— Jay Shah (@JayShah) July 9, 2024
Legacy
Gautam Gambhir is remembered for his grit, determination, and significant contributions to Indian cricket, particularly in crucial matches. His leadership in the IPL and his performances in ICC tournaments have cemented his place as one of India’s prominent cricketers.
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