IPL 2018: Gautam Gambhir Opens Up on His Retirement Plans

Gautam Gambhir has quashed speculations suggesting that he might retire in the coming days. The southpaw sensationally stepped down as Delhi Daredevils (DD) skipper on Wednesday (April 25). He took the decision after his side’s dismal start to the season eleven of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).

Under his captaincy, the Daredevils have not quite managed to deliver as a team. As a result, they are languishing at the bottom of the points table, having managed a solitary win in six games.

Another reason behind Gambhir’s decision to step down was his meager returns with the bat. He started the season on a brilliant note, scoring 55 against Kings XI Punjab.

However, his performance dipped after that. In the next four innings, he was dismissed for single-digit score thrice. Overall, he managed to score only 85 runs in five innings despite scoring a fifty in the very first game for his old-franchise.

With neither the team nor his own form showing any signs of improvement, Gambhir decided to drop the bombshell by stepping down from his post. And his sudden decision made many speculate that he might call it a day from the game.

However, the veteran batsman, who last represented India in 2016, has made it clear that he has no immediate plans of retiring from the game.

“There has been speculation about my future as a cricketer too. Well, there are no immediate plans to retire. My immediate plans include turning it around for DD, buying a nice gift for my daughter’s birthday on May 1 and moving out of my hotel suite as only the captains get to stay in them,” he wrote in his column for TOI.

Adamant in approach, Gambir further said he did not take the decision under anyone’s influence.

“While I was writing this I was getting a sense that a certain section of the media was seeing Ponting as a trigger for my decision to step down. I don’t know where is it coming from. Maybe Aussie-bashing is the flavor of the season! Ponting is a fine guy. Maybe we are watching too many news channels/daily soaps and end up searching for conspiracies where none exist. It is a straight line, let us not speculate: It was MY decision to step down, no one pushed me into it,” Gambhir clarified.

Meanwhile, Gautam Gambhir has decided to play this season without taking even a single penny from the franchise.

Also, read: IPL 2018: Gambhir Pens an Emotional Letter After Stepping Down As Daredevils Skipper