Gautam Gambhir announces retirement from all forms of cricket

In a career that marked several highs and some staggering lows, Gautam Gambhir has never let his aggressive demeanour down and the Delhi swagger was always on the show whenever he crossed the rope to enter the cricket field. While the on-field performance towards the end of his career is something he would not be very proud of, he, however, never mellowed down and always remained a superstar for his fans.

An announcement that signs the end of an era would have been sweeter for him by playing a Test match to say goodbye to the game, but his inconsistent performances in the last few years meant his appearance for India in the first Test of the home series against England in late 2016 would be his last international outing. In his overall career, he has played 58 Tests, scoring 4154 runs, at an average of 41.95, including nine centuries and 22 fifties. His 97 in the 2011 World Cup final is still one of the best ODI innings under pressure and he displayed that so many times while playing 147 ODIs, scoring 5238 runs at an average of 39.68 and a strike-rate of 85.25.

He was also an important member in India’s 2007 T20 World Cup-winning team and ended his career by playing 37 T20Is for India from 2007-2012, scoring 932 runs at 27.41 and a strike rate of 119.02.

At one time hailed as the “next Sunil Gavaskar” by the inimitable Virender Sehwag, Gambhir made his Test debut back in 2004 in the home series against Australia. It took him four years and a comeback later to firmly establish himself in the Test side – and one among his spectacular batting efforts that come to mind is his battling 137 that helped India save the second Test at Napier on the 2008-9 tour of New Zealand. Gambhir batted for close to 11 hours and played out 436 balls in a display of grit and single-minded focus.

For the staunch Gambhir fans – and he has an army – it will be a sad news. For all Indian cricket fans, including his detractors, he will always remain as a fierce, ready to walk the talk and most importantly, an extremely passionate cricketer.

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