Gautam Gambhir dismisses talks of retirement

What's the story?

Delhi Daredevils batsman Gautam Gambhir has finally spoken out after quitting captaincy midway through IPL 2018, clarifying that he is not quitting the game immediately and joining politics, as some media reports suggested.

In his column for the Hindustan Times, Gambhir said: "It is widely speculated that I am retiring from the game and contesting elections in Delhi and District Cricket Association. Both are not true. I am still keen to play and win games for my teams. Currently, I am in Chandigarh for family reasons and will then go on a short vacation. But before that, I will be eagerly following the playoffs".

In case you didn't know...

Gambhir, who made a return to the Delhi Daredevils ahead of IPL 2018, after having spent the last seven editions with the Kolkata Knight Riders, quit captaincy midway through the season and was replaced by Shreyas Iyer at the helm of affairs. He did not play a single game after stepping down.

The heart of the matter

Having conceded that he would have played in the first XI had he been picked, Gambhir said that injuries and team composition issues led to the team faltering this year, and subsequently forcing him to take the measure.

He also added that he would be keenly watching the eliminator between the Kolkata Knight Riders, his previous franchise, and the Rajasthan Royals, and was rooting for the Knight Riders to go through to the next game.

He also added that he is backing Dinesh Karthik's captaincy, and has 'loved the way he has handled Kuldeep Yadav and Sunil Narine'. The 36-year-old said that his eyes will be on Rajasthan's Sanju Samson, his favourite player.

What's next?

With Chennai Super Kings having sealed their spot in the finals, the winner of today's game will take on the Sunrisers Hyderabad on Friday (25th May).

Author's take

A combative cricketer who has always stepped up his game when his team's been in peril, Gambhir's absence from the second half of the tournament was a big gap to fill for the Daredevils.

It is typical of Gambhir for having come out in the open and clarified that he isn't going to retire soon, extinguishing all reports of his possible foray into politics.

Given his emotional attachment with the Kolkata Knight Riders, his support for his former franchise is evident. Only time will tell whether Karthik's men repay the faith shown by the former Knight Rider.