Former Indian opener, Gautam Gambhir decided to hang his boots from all forms of cricket back in December 2018 after representing Delhi in one of the matches in the Ranji Trophy at the Feroz Shah Kotla. Despite the fact that he wasn’t getting many chances in the national squad for quite long, he will always be remembered for his heroics in the final of the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 World Cup.
However, the retirement could’ve come way back in 2007 as he couldn’t find a spot in the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies. He was around 25 years old at that time and the rejection got to him, so much so that he wished to retire from cricket.
ALSO READ: MSK Prasad Reveals They Are Grooming Nack-ups OF Rishabh Pant
As per the quotes in India Today, Gambhir said, “In 2007, when I missed the 50-over World Cup, that was the lowest moment in my cricketing career. I had given up on cricket. Before that, I had missed both U-14 and U-19 World Cups. In 2007 I thought I was the closest to play the World Cup, but when they did not include me in the squad, I had given up on cricket.”
Just when Gambhir was feeling low, he was picked in the Indian squad for the 2007 T20 World Cup in South Africa. He didn’t make a huge start and dismissed without troubling the scorers in the first match against Pakistan at the Kingsmead in Durban. But, he eneded up being the leading run-scorer of the tournament. India defeated Pakistan in the final at the Wanderers in Johannesburg and Gambhir churned out a masterful 75 off 54, though he didn’t get the Man of the Match.
Gambhir further explained, “Then I was chosen in Twenty-20 World Cup in 2007 and I got dismissed for a duck in the first match against Pakistan. But as fate has it, I finished as the leading run-scorer in the World Cup and we ended up winning the tournament so one should never give up.”
ALSO READ: Shahid Afridi Also Accuses IPL Of Influencing Sri Lankan Players
From thereon, Gautam maintained consistency across the formats as he scored 20 centuries and 63 half-centuries and come-out as one of the most reliable batters at the top of the order. He was once also the ICC’s number one Test batsman back in 2009.
