"You don't get expensive things easily" - When Gautam Gambhir made a hilarious comment on his serious personality

Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir was known for his serious personality on the cricket field as a player. Nothing much has changed since his retirement. As mentor of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) earlier and now as head coach of Team India, he has retained his sober nature. Having said that, the former India opener does have a reasonably good sense of humor.

In a chat on Sportskeeda's Match Ki Baat show in May 2024, Gambhir quipped that expensive things don't come easily when asked about why he doesn't smile often. Expressing surprise over the curiosity about his serious nature, he had said:

"I don't know why my smile is such a big issue or topic of discussion. And if it is really such a big matter of discussion, I think all commentators should have understood by now that my smile is precious. I can't give a smile to anyone just like that (smiles). You don't get expensive things easily."

Gambhir further added in his typically cheeky style that people come to see the team win cricket matches and not to watch him smile. He had commented:

"I wish people would come to see me smiling. I think the fans will go home happy only if the team they support wins. So, it is our duty that we send them home happy. If they could go home happy watching me smile, then I would be smiling for three and a half hours. Unfortunately, that's not the case."

Gambhir is currently in England as India are preparing for the five-match Test series, which starts at Headingley in Leeds on June 20.

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"There’s hunger to do something special" - Gautam Gambhir on India's chances in England

India will be without the services of the senior trio of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin during the five-match series in England. All of them have retired from Test cricket (Ashwin from international cricket). While India have a tough task under new captain Shubman Gill, Gambhir believes that it's an opportunity for the side to pull off something special. Speaking in a team huddle, he commented:

“There are two ways of looking at this. One is that we are without are three most experienced players, or we have a phenomenal opportunity to do something special for the country. When I look around this group, I think there’s hunger, passion, and commitment to do something special.

"If we make sacrifices, if we come out of our comfort zones, if we start fighting, not every day, but every session, every hour, every ball, I think we can have a memorable tour. Make sure we start that from today only. We start enjoying playing for the country because there’s no bigger honour,” he added.

India last won a Test series in England in 2007 under Rahul Dravid's captaincy when they clinched a hard-fought three-match series 1-0.