Here is why Gautam Gambhir deserves a look-in for champions trophy: Considering the fan following and the craze of the sport of Cricket in this country, there is no doubt that there come countless opinions regarding anything that is related to it. Be it the team dynamics, the selection, the performance; people do not shy away from expressing their thoughts. There is no dearth in the availability of articles, editorials, tweets and posts on the same. And here we present one more!
The Gambhir Story
Gautam Gambhir, the angry young man of Indian Cricket finds himself in the news whenever the squad selection for any tour/league takes place. Time and again he has stepped up and shown character. He possesses the ability to deliver under pressure and when his team needs him the most.
Going a few years back, one would realize that in the final of both – the 2007 T20 World Cup as well as the 2011 World Cup, it was he who began the attack and lead India; Gautam Gambhir scores being 75 & 97 respectively. During the 2011 tour of New Zealand to India, he was the ODI captain.
The result was a – ‘Whitewash!’ India scored a perfect 5/5 and the remarkable fact about this victory was that most of the big names were rested. Talking about the Indian Premier League, which is a big affair in the country and does have influence on the International Cricketing scenario; Gautam Gambhir has been no less here too. Playing for Delhi Daredevils initially, he was the second-highest run getter in the league’s inaugural season. In 2011, Kolkata Knight Riders signed him as their captain.
This was followed by a change in the fate of the team. Two time winners of the Title, they have flourished under Gautam Gambhir captaincy. In the ongoing 10th season of IPL, he has most runs till now making him the owner of the Orange Cap (305 runs, Strike Rate – 137, Average – 50.8). Despite rising to the occasion several times and being a topper in the stats list of various series and tournaments, his inclusion in the team seems as hard as India losing at home.
The Question Remains….
Being dropped in 2012, Gautam Gambhir had played his last test in 2014 (India’s tour to England) until he was called as the replacement of the injured KL Rahul in the Kiwis’ tour to India in 2016. He registered a half century but was dropped again as Rahul was declared fit.
Team India recently had a successful home season defeating Australia and England and what will now follow is the much awaited Champions Trophy. Though there are questions being raised about the team’s inclusion in the tournament with the ongoing tiff between ICC & BCCI, the final call is expected to be taken in two days’ time.
With domestic cricket and IPL bringing so many youngsters in the national team, will the experience and legacy of Gautam Gambhir stand out and get him a place in the squad? Well, the selectors shall let us know the answer soon.
– by Akshata Tilwankar
