The IPL has viewed some of the most aggressive players with fiery tempers who have gotten themselves into hot water with their conduct on the pitch or by making aggressive remarks off the pitch. Former KKR captain Gautam Gambhir is one of the most controversial players.
Gambhir guided KKR to two IPL championships in 2012 and 2014, and he has been the coach of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) since 2022. Since 2007, when he spat with Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi, the former Indian opener has been connected with various contentious events in his career, including another verbal confrontation with Australian all-rounder Shane Watson in 2008.
He always makes controversial comments about great players, including MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli.. Gauti’s conduct on the pitch and comments about specific players have sparked several disputes over the years, with many supporters upset.
Gautam Gambhir’s three most contentious occasions since joining LSG in 2022 are looked at here.
1) Gautam Gambhir-Virat Kohli Brawl after RCB-LSG clash
Gautam Gambhir, the mentor of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), and former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Virat Kohli got into a verbal argument after RCB defeated LSG by 18 runs on Monday, May 1.
After the 16th over of the LSG innings, RCB pacer Mohammed Siraj looked at LSG’s Naveen Ul Haq before throwing the ball at the stumps with Naveen well inside the crease.
The umpires were forced to interfere after Siraj and Naveen exchanged words. Kohli then stepped in and had words for Naveen. In response, Afghanistan’s bowler charged straight at Kohli.
This resulted in nasty confrontations between Gambhir and Kohli following the match, while Kohli and Naveen were still fighting, with Gauti had an emotional and heated debate with the umpires.
Following the traditional handshakes, LSG opener Kyle Mayers and Virat Kohli were seen talking before Gautam came out of nowhere and pulled Mayers away from Virat, sparking the Kohli-Gambhir confrontation and exchange.
As teammates from both teams attempted to remove Gambhir and Kohli, the pair charged towards each other and engaged in a heated exchange.
2) Gautam Gambhir silences the Chinnaswamy crowd after LSG’s last-ball win against RCB
Gautam Gambhir, the coach of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), made a provocative gesture to the packed audience at the Chinnaswamy Stadium following their one-wicket victory over RCB off the penultimate ball of the innings.
In one of the IPL 2023’s tightest games, the majority of the LSG dugout celebrated enthusiastically after the final pair snatched a bye off the last ball to finish a historic chase.
Gautam was very emotional as he smashed the table with his palm and then hugged the crew while flinging stuff around. He was also quite loud and joyful during much of LSG’s batting innings, particularly during Nicholas Pooran’s match-winning half-century.
It was perhaps a reaction to Gauti’s extreme and controversial behaviour in the first meeting between the teams that spilt over to their second meeting, resulting in an ugly brawl after the game.
3) Gautam Gambhir on AB de Villiers’ IPL records
Gautam Gambhir never miss a chance of making controversial comments off the pitch that ruffle the feathers of cricket fans all around the world. He always makes controversial comments about the great players, including MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli.
AB de Villiers was one of the hitters nominated in a recent Star Sports poll for the greatest IPL batter to be chosen by cricket experts. The former KKR captain, however, pointed out that the Protea hitter played most of his games at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, which is known for its tiny boundaries and flat wickets.
Gambhir chose former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) hitter Suresh Raina above ABD as the greatest batter in the IPL because of his role in the Super Kings’ championship success, and he said:
If AB de Villiers plays in a small ground like Chinnaswamy Stadium for 8-10 years, any player might have the same strike rate or ability. So Suresh Raina 4 IPL titles, unfortunately, de Villiers only personal records.”