When Emotions Flared: 5 Times Gautam Gambhir Lost His Cool

Gambhir and Kamran Akmal during their verbal altercation in 2010 [Source: Screengrab/@Thunder/YouTube]Gambhir and Kamran Akmal during their verbal altercation in 2010 [Source: Screengrab/@Thunder/YouTube]

Former Indian cricketer and legendary opening batter Gautam Gambhir was known for consistently wearing his heart on his sleeve. Renowned for his aggressive approach and ability to deliver in high-pressure moments, Gambhir also faced his share of controversies, many of which arose from his fierce desire to win.

From twice lifting the coveted World Cup trophies to becoming the head coach of the national team, here we take a look at five of the biggest controversial moments of India’s malicious mischief.

5. The infamous ‘elbow’ to Shane Watson

In the high-scoring third Test of the 2008 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Gautam Gambhir notoriously ‘elbowed’ Australian all-rounder Shane Watson while completing a run. The incident occurrent during the second session of the opening day of the Delhi Test, at a time when Gambhir was nearing his century. 

The two cricketers were entangled in verbal altercations in the lead-up to the incident, and the dashing Indian opener also had his run-ins with Australian spinner Simon Katich during the innings.

4. Feud with Kamran Akmal in 2010 Asia Cup

Back in June 2010 during India’s high-octane Asia Cup match against Pakistan, Gautam Gambhir and Kamran Akmal were involved in a heated altercation with each other. The incident occurred when a well-set Gambhir missed a Saeed Ajmal delivery, and on-field umpire Billy Bowden rejected Ajmal and Akmal’s caught-behind appeal.

Both Gambhir and Akmal nearly locked horns and had to be separated by the on-field officials. The Indian opener, who belted 83 in the match, ended up having the last laugh as Team India sealed their nail-biting run-chase in the final over.

3. On-field fiasco with Shahid Afridi

In one of his earlier moments of controversies, a young Gautam Gambhir crossed paths with legendary Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi back in November 2007. While the exact origins of their feud remains unknown, the situation intensified when Gambhir elbowed Afridi while completing a run in the 20th over of the Indian innings at Kanpur.

The two cricketers seemingly hurled abuses at each other, prompting the on-field umpires to intervene. While Gautam Gambhir scored just 25 in the match, he shared a handy 47-run partnership with top-scorer Yuvraj Singh to set up India’s emphatic 46-run win.

2. Gautam Gambhir’s standoff with Virat Kohli

Back during IPL 2013, KKR captain Gautam Gambhir exchanged words with his RCB counterpart Virat Kohli after the latter was dismissed by Lakshmipathy Balaji. Both Gambhir and Kohli, having shared the dressing room together for Delhi and India, had a run-in with each other during RCB’s 155-run pursuit in Bengaluru.

Fortunately, the two cricketers were separated by Gambhir’s KKR teammate Rajat Bhatia.

1. Gautam Gambhir vs Virat Kohli 2.0 – 10 years later

Nearly 10 years after their infamous IPL 2013 standoff, firebrand cricketers Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli once again came into collision, albeit under slightly different capacities during the 2023 edition of the tournament.

The incident occurred after the match when a then-LSG mentor Gambhir stepped in as Kohli was having a go at Naveen-ul-Haq. The altercation soon became a proxy showdown between Gambhir and Kohli, and the situation quickly escalated as other players from both parties gathered at the field.

The two Delhi stars have since mended their relationship, and are currently helming Indian cricket together as head coach and player.