As Gautam Gambhir continues his journey as the head coach of the Indian cricket team, the pressure of results has started to weigh heavy. And with every match, win or loss, voices around him get louder.
Recently, there’s a fresh war of words brewing behind the scenes, involving none other than cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar. Gambhir responded strongly to criticism that surfaced after India’s Champions Trophy win.
Did Gautam Gambhir take a dig at Sunil Gavaskar?
At the ‘India At 2047’ summit hosted by ABP News, Gambhir opened up about his tenure so far. He accepted the ups and downs but made it clear that constant judgment from commentators didn’t sit right with him.
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"When I took up this job of being the head coach of 140 crore Indians, I knew that when you get judged every day on the performance of the team, there will always be criticism, there will always be appreciation. And it will never happen that the graph goes up in the same way," said Gambhir.
Without naming names, he said some people behave as if Indian cricket belongs to them alone. He went on to say that cricket is not the property of anyone and is the identity of 140 crore Indians.
"But there are some people who have been sitting in the commentary box for 20-25 years. They questioned everything I did. They think that Indian cricket is their property. Unfortunately, Indian cricket is not someone's property. It is the identity of 140 crore Indians and it will remain that way," added Gambhir.
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What did Sunil Gavaskar say about Gambhir?
The BCCI announced a huge cash reward after India lifted the Champions Trophy. Sunil Gavaskar, writing in his column, posed a question—would Gambhir, like Rahul Dravid in the past, choose not to take extra prize money beyond what was given to support staff?
While this question didn't accuse, it implied a moral comparison with Dravid, who previously gave up a bonus to keep things equal within his team.
How did Gautam Gambhir react to the money-related comment?
Gambhir responded strongly to the criticism of the money-related allegation, although he did not name Gavaskar explicitly. He said he didn’t owe anyone explanations about where he spent or donated his prize money. He also claimed some critics forget their own privileges while questioning others.
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Most telling was his NRI comment, where he noted that some people earn in India but live abroad, dodging taxes. The jab appeared clearly aimed at someone with ties abroad, hinting at Gavaskar.
"The prize money that I got in the Champions Trophy. I don't need to tell this country where I left the money and where I invested it," said Gambhir.
"But this country should know that such people have been working in the country as NRIs for so many years. They earn money from the country and take it abroad. I don't do security checks or immigration at 11:55," he added.
What is Sunil Gavaskar’s history with the NRI tag?
Back 2014, Gavaskar reportedly submitted a bill of $12,000 for miscellaneous expenses during his 24-day stint in the UAE for IPL-related duties.
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While it was eventually approved, some BCCI officials had questioned the amount, considering he was already being compensated handsomely under Supreme Court oversight.