Gautam Gambhir is someone who wears his heart on his sleeve, a trait that has remained synonymous with him since his playing days. Transitioning from a cricketer to politics to now serving as a head coach, Gambhir has donned several hats, and throughout these roles, the one thing that’s stayed unmoved is his love for his nation. Having already led India to a Champions Trophy triumph and an Asia Cup title, Gambhir is up for the toughest assignment of his coaching tenure when India begin their T20 World Cup title defence.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir (PTI)
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However, the status of one of India’s crucial league matches – against Pakistan on February 15 – is currently unknown. The Pakistan government has announced a boycott of the marquee fixture in solidarity with Bangladesh, prompting no shortage of reactions. The ICC has urged the Pakistan Cricket Board to reconsider its stance, but as the world stands divided, with some believing the stance is justified, and others confident that Pakistan would make a U-turn, cricket suffers.
Amid the tension and drama, India head coach Gambhir, who reached Mumbai for India’s first warm-up match against South Africa, refrained from getting involved in the ongoing shenanigans. As reporters surrounded the coach, Gambhir refused to entertain questions about Pakistan’s boycott. He simply shrugged off and said ‘Thank you’.
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Gambhir has never shied away from having a go at Pakistan. Recall the instance against Shahid Afridi in the 2007 bilateral series in India, or in the 2009 Asia Cup, when he had a go at former Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal. Heck, even during the 2022 Asia Cup, Gambhir flipped a section of the Pakistan crowd that was directing derogatory chants at India.
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Gambhir has never shied away from having a go at Pakistan. Recall the instance against Shahid Afridi in the 2007 bilateral series in India, or in the 2009 Asia Cup, when he had a go at former Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal. Heck, even during the 2022 Asia Cup, Gambhir flipped a section of the Pakistan crowd that was directing derogatory chants at India.
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Gambhir has been very vocal lately, not mincing words about India’s performance. After the team was drubbed by South Africa at home a few months ago, Gambhir said it’s up to the BCCI to decide his future and even dragged IPL franchise owner Parth Jindal into one of the discussions.
Aditya Bhattacharya is the Sports Editor at Hindustan Times Digital, with close to 15 years of experience in sports journalism. Over the course of his career, he has worked with leading media organisations including Cricbuzz, The Times of India, Network18 and Zee. Primarily a cricket writer, Aditya has covered several marquee events, including the 2016 ICC World T20, the 2019 ICC World Cup in England and the 2023 World Cup in India. His reporting portfolio also includes international cricket across England, South Africa and New Zealand, along with forays into tennis, including coverage of the Australian Open. He has interviewed several prominent athletes across sports. Aditya began his career with a brief stint at CricketNext before getting his first major break at Cricbuzz, where he was part of the Times Network’s startup venture GoCricket, which later merged with Cricbuzz. After nearly 18 months there, he moved to The Times of India, covering his first World Cup assignment and reporting first-hand on landmark moments such as Virat Kohli’s iconic innings against Australia in Mohali. During his three-year tenure, he played a key role in both reporting and desk operations and was recognised as TOI Employee of the Quarter in 2016. He later joined Zee, where he covered the 2019 World Cup across five venues in England—an assignment he considers a career highlight.
At Hindustan Times, Aditya’s leadership came to the fore as he was promoted to lead the sports team within 18 months. Under his stewardship, the section has delivered extensive coverage of global sporting events, including the IPL, Olympics, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. In 2024, he was named HT DigiStar of the Year. Aditya continues to adapt to the evolving digital publishing landscape, with a sharp focus on search and audience engagement. Outside work, he occasionally plays the guitar and remains an avid gamer.
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Home/Cricket/Gautam Gambhir straight up refuses to entertain Pakistan’s India T20 World Cup boycott shenanigans
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