The background
Gautam Gambhir’s career had reached its peak between 2007-11. He became an integral part of the Indian team and his opening partnership with Virender Sehwag was billed by many as one of the greatest in cricket history. However, he could not carry his form to 2012 and was ultimately left out from the T20I team and the ODI team soon after.
The Delhi player’s last T20I appearance came against Pakistan in December 2012, while his ODI career ended the next month after a series of failures against England.
The heart of the matter
During his interview with Samaa TV, Mohammad Irfan stated -
He added that the entire Indian team was uncomfortable against him and that they could not spot deliveries because of his height – 7-foot-1 – and pace. Irfan recalled that even current Indian skipper Virat Kohli had trouble reading his bowling.
Despite the claims, though, fact is that the left-hander was struggling with form in the matches played prior to that as well. He did not have much success in the ODI series against England either.
Ultimately, the team management decided to try out Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan as openers in the 2013 Champions Trophy. The solid performances of the two ensured that Gautam would never comes back to the team.
What’s next?
Gautam Gambhir is yet to respond to Irfan’s statement. However, Indian cricket fans have called out the Pakistani fast bowler for his claim.
Also see – World Test Championship Schedule
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