Former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir has slammed the online trollers of pace bowler Mohammad Shami. Incidentally, the fast bowler was subjected to vilified comments on social media after his below-par outing in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 game against Pakistan on Sunday.

Shami was at the receiving end of racial slurs after India failed to defend 151 runs in their T20 World Cup opener against the arch-rivals. Gautam Gambhir rejected questions about Mohammad Shami’s integrity towards India and the team as “ridiculous”.

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— BCCI (@BCCI) October 26, 2021

In his column for TOI, Gautam Gambhir wrote:

“…India lose to Pakistan on Sunday. By Monday/Tuesday Mohammad Shami’s integrity towards his team and country was being questioned. How ridiculous can that be? Is it to say that Jasprit Bumrah or Bhuvneshwar Kumar were more committed because they belong to a certain religion? Where are we heading?”

Gautam Gambhir, who has played with Mohammad Shami in the Kolkata Knight Riders, lauded the pacer as a hardworking individual.

“I know Shami very well as I have led him in KKR. He is hard-working, committed fast bowler who just had an off day. Unfortunately for him, it happened against Pakistan. But that can happen to anyone. Why can’t we just say, “well done Pakistan” and leave it at that?” Gautam Gambhir added.