"Always GG in World Cup Finals" - Gautam Gambhir received special wishes on his birthday as he turned 42
The cricket community extended warm wishes to former Indian batter Gautam Gambhir as he turned 42 years old on Saturday, October 14.
Gambhir retired from international cricket in 2016 after a 13-year career. His name is etched in the folklore as India's man for the World Cup finals, having played a crucial role in both World Cup titles won after 1983.
He played a pivotal role in the 2007 T20 World Cup final against Pakistan with his sensational knock of 75 (54) under pressure.
Gambhir then played arguably his best ODI knock in the 2011 World Cup final against Sri Lanka. He anchored the chase perfectly by scoring 97 (122) and setting up the platform for a comfortable win for his side. MS Dhoni hit 91* and ended up winning the Player of the Match award.
On the occasion of his 42nd birthday, Gambhir's former teammates and other members of the cricket fraternity and fans were quick to wish him on social media. His teammates from the 2011 World Cup-winning Indian side Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh led the way with special posts.
Here are some of the wishes:
"The biggest mistake in this tournament" - Gautam Gambhir criticizes Australia's selection tactics
Gautam Gambhir was recently critical of Australia's decision to select only one front-line spinner for the 2023 ODI World Cup after their dismal losses against India and South Africa.
During a discussion on Star Sports, Gambhir analyzed the reasons behind their poor performance in the World Cup so far and said:
"It is not a formula, it is the biggest mistake in this tournament. When Ashton Agar was ruled out of the tournament, they should have called a spinner. How can you make such a big mistake? There is no team in this World Cup apart from Australia who have gone with just one frontline spinner."
Gambhir continued:
"You are playing the World Cup in the subcontinent where you have to play nine matches and despite that your squad has just one spinner. Nathan Lyon is there, you could have played Tanveer Sangha or there might be some other spinners in Australia. You could have called someone.
Do you agree with Gautam Gambhir's views above? Let us know your opinions in the comments section.