Indian batsman Gautam Gambhir took a brutal dig at former India cricketers Bishan Singh Bedi and Chetan Chauhan on Tuesday. Gambhir roasted the members of DDCA after Delhi pacer Navdeep Saini earned his maiden India call-up for the Afghanistan Test, on Monday.
Bedi and Chauhan, members of the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA), had opposed Saini’s selection in Delhi’s Ranji Trophy team, terming him an ‘outsider’ who belonged to Haryana. Taking a dig at their comments, Gambhir took to Twitter and shared a piece of his mind.
Gautam tweeted, “My ‘condolences’ to few DDCA members, @BishanBedi @ChetanChauhanCr on selection of ‘outsider’ Navdeep Saini to India squad. Am told black armbands are available in Bangalore too for INR 225 per roll!!! Sir, just remember Navdeep is an Indian first then comes his domicile @BCCI”.
Here’s his tweet:
My ‘condolences’ to few DDCA members, @BishanBedi @ChetanChauhanCr on selection of ‘outsider’ Navdeep Saini to India squad. Am told black armbands are available in Bangalore too for INR 225 per roll!!! Sir, just remember Navdeep is an Indian first then comes his domicile @BCCI
— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) June 12, 2018
About five years ago, Bedi had written a letter to then DDCA president Arun Jaitley, which read: “In today’s meeting to finalize the Ranji team, an outsider, Navdeep, a fast bowler from Karnal has been selected. This boy has played no cricket in Delhi for the past year, and it is inappropriate to bring in an outsider when there are some very good boys waiting to represent Delhi. I wonder if you can even do it. If a few years back, a whole selection panel could have been summarily dismissed for selecting another Navdeep (Tomar), we see no reason why current committee can’t be dismissed for overstepping their brief.”
ALSO READ: Navdeep Saini credits Gautam Gambhir
On Monday, Saini dedicated his selection to Gambhir for his support over the years. He said, “Gautam bhaiya told me ‘Jaise tennis ball se dalta hai, waise hi dal. Koi tension nahi. Baaki sab theek ho jayega (Just bowl like you bowl with a tennis ball. Everything will fall in place)’. I did what he told me and today I am here because of him. I don’t know whenever I speak about Gautam Gambhir, I get emotional.”
There were people who witnessed how Gambhir literally lost his cool during the net session when despite his repeated demand, a Delhi selector (a distinguished former India opener) didn’t even make a passing glance at Saini’s bowling.
However, known for being resolute, Gautam got Saini in the squad despite mutiny from an infamous section of DDCA officials, who had distributed brochures, questioning Saini’s eligibility, when he was marking his run-up for his first ever over in Ranji against Vidarbha.
Recalling those days, Saini said, “I remember every tiny little thing. I know what Gautam bhaiya had to go through to convince selectors that I was good enough to play for Delhi. Not to forget Ashish Nehra, Mithun Manhas, Sumit Narwal, who all stood by me. In fact, after first few matches, he (Gambhir) said that if I keep working hard at every practice session, I will play for India. He saw in me before I realized myself. Today when I look back on those days, I smile.”
