Why ex-cricketer Gautam Gambhir was always destined for politics

Gautam Gambhir with his kids (Gautam Gambhir Instagram)

Gautam Gambhir is in the news lately, for joining politics and contesting in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls as a BJP member.

Bharatiya Janata Party announced that former cricketer Gautam Gambhir will be contesting the Lok Sabha election from the East Delhi constituency while BJP parliamentarian Meenakshi Lekhi will be contesting from the New Delhi constituency.

Also Read: Gautam Gambhir to contest from East Delhi, Here's how Twitter reacts

But we are not here to track what is Gautam Gambhir doing in politics, we are here to see what the two-time World Cup winner has done in his cricket career and how the former left-handed batsman always had leadership qualities and strong opinions, which gave an inkling that he always had an alternative career after retiring from cricket.

Gautam Gambhir started off his career as a domestic cricketer in Delhi and because of his talents, he was fast-forwarded into the Indian cricket team at a young age.

Gautam Gambhir's two most memorable innings in Indian colours were in the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ICC World Cup, both of which India won.

Against Pakistan in the 2007 World T20 final, Gautam Gambhir led the Indian innings with a breathtaking 75 runs off 54 balls which in the end proved match-winning for India against their arch-rivals.

Gautam Gambhir played perhaps the biggest knock of his life in the 2011 World Cup final in Mumbai. Chasing a stiff target posed by Sri Lanka, Gambhir hit 97 runs off 122 balls to make sure that the most important trophy in cricket comes home after a long 28-year wait.

Gautam Gambhir then showed off his leadership skills in the IPL, when he took over the reins of a depleted Kolkata Knight Riders side in 2011. Gautam Gambhir captained Shah Rukh Khan's IPL team to the IPL title in 2012 and 2014 and thereby singlehandedly changed the fortunes of the team. Needless to say, he was the most important man in Shah Rukh Khan's life during those years.

During his cricketing days, Gautam Gambhir also broke the protocol followed by most Indian cricketers of being diplomatically correct and voiced his opinions on the most sensitive of subjects concerning the nation.

Recently, during India's standoff against Pakistan during the Pulwama terror attacks, Gautam Gambhir was in the forefront of the group of people who wanted a strong retaliation by the Indian forces on Pakistan.

Gautam Gambhir also voiced his opinion on India facing Pakistan in the 2019 World Cup after the Pulwama terror attacks. Gambhir had said that India should boycott Pakistan at every level in sport. He said India should forfeit the match and give away the two points because the nation was more important than the game.

A strong-headed sports-man with established leadership qualities and strong opinions may give Gautam Gambhir a lengthy stint in politics.

Also Read: Gautam Gambhir: Feel sorry for Ambati Rayudu

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