Gautam Gambhir, who played pivotal roles in India's glory in the 2007 World T20 and the 2011 World Cup, announced his retirement in a heartfelt video on Tuesday. The southpaw's decision was on expected lines after his prolonged absence from the Indian national side.
Gambhir is one of the most respected and loved cricketers in India and his fans are yet to come to terms with his retirement. Apart from winning matches for India, Gambhir has also been one of the most successful captains in the Indian Premier League history who led Kolkata Knight Riders to two IPL trophies.
Post Gambhir's retirement, Bollywood superstar and KKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan took to Twitter to thank his former skipper for the work he has done for his team.
Shah Rukh also gave an advice to the veteran opener.
"Thank u for the love & leadership my Captain. U r a special man and may Allah always keep & happy…& u should smile a bit more," Shah Rukh tweeted.
Gambhir joined KKR in 2011 with a record signing and led his team to title victories in 2012 and 2014. Later in 2018, he joined his first IPL team Delhi Daredevils but was dropped midway into the season following a poor start. Like his impressive international stats, Gambhir is on 4th position in the list of top run-scorers in IPL history with 4217 runs in 154 matches.
Earlier on Tuesday, Gambhir made the announcement via a video message which was posted on his social media accounts.
"The most difficult decisions are often taken with the heaviest of hearts. And with one heavy heart, I’ve decided to make an announcement that I’ve dreaded all my life," Gambhir wrote in his post.
The Ranji Trophy game between Delhi and Andhra Pradesh starting Thursday at the Feroz Shah Kotla will be his last game.
