Fans hold banner asking the return of Gautam Gambhir to the national team
Ahead of the selection meeting for the upcoming Test series against New Zealand, the supporters at the Greater Noida, where the Duleep Trophy final is presently on, held a 20- feet long banner, seeking the return of left-handed opener Gautam Gambhir back into the team.
A small group of teenage girls- Asmita, Aryanka, Surbhi and Priya- were at the venue to cheer for their favourite star, wanting him to make a return to national colours.
“We run a Gambhir fan club. We want him back in Indian team. He has been consistent.I had met him once at his residence. Called up his manager and went to meet him. It’s a personal effort to show our love. We are his fans," Asmita, a student of Shivaji College said.
It is learnt that on seeing the banner, the 34-year-old left-handed opener told the ground officials to provide the girls with water bottles after watching them hold the banner in sweltering heat. Because of ACU rules, Gambhir could not meet the girls and have a word with them.
The Duleep Trophy final is going on in the presence of a few national selectors as well head coach Anil Kumble and it did attract the attention of the former.
Does Gambhir deserve a chance?
While many might feel that in KL Rahul India have a third opener in case either of Shikhar Dhawan or Murali Vijay are unavailable or have form issues, the presence of a left hand-right hand combination at the top is something that team would not want to disrupt.
In the four innings of the Duleep Trophy, Gambhir has scored four consecutive half-centuries and has come close to scoring a hundred twice, falling in the nineties on both occasions.
But will the selectors opt to go for the Delhi batsman remains the big question and if they do pick him, then it will surely be a just reward for some consistent performances.