"Way more nervous than I was when I made my international debut" - Gautam Gambhir on making his cricketing return with Legends League Cricket 2022
Gautam Gambhir recently spoke about captaining the India Capitals in the second edition of Legends League Cricket 2022, which will get underway on Saturday, September 17.
In a video shared by the India Capitals on social media, Gambhir revealed that he is very stressed about returning to the field, given that he hasn't played the sport for a considerable amount of time.
Despite the nervousness, the former Indian opener mentioned that he is excited to be back in action with all the other former cricketers that he has played with or competed against in the past. Gambhir said:
"I’m pretty nervous. In fact, I am probably way more nervous than I was when I made my international debut because I have not played cricket for a very long time.
"But it’s exciting because you’ve done that for a very long time. It's always nice to come back and play a game of cricket and a tournament of this level with some of the guys that I’ve played with and against."
A total of four teams will battle it out for the coveted trophy in the Legends League Cricket 2022.
The Gambhir-led India Capitals will lock horns with Virender Sehwag's Gujarat Giants in the first match of the season on Saturday in Kolkata.
"Captaincy will always be challenging for someone like me" - Gautam Gambhir on being the skipper for India Capitals in Legends League Cricket 2022
Gambhir added that leading a side is very challenging for an individual like him, given that he expects everyone to bring out their best game on all occasions.
He also spoke about how he sets the bar high for himself when he is captaining a team. The Lucknow Super Giants mentor explained:
"It is exciting. But at the same time, it’s been a bit challenging as well because captaincy will always be challenging for someone like me who expects a lot of myself and the other players as well."
Notably, Gambhir's association with the India Capitals owners GMR Sportsline goes back a long way. The southpaw made his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut in 2008 with the Delhi Daredevils, owned by the same company.
His last season in the cash-rich league was also with the Delhi-based franchise as he was roped in by the Delhi Capitals as their captain in the 2018 edition.