"He fights with people..." - Gautam Gambhir's childhood coach shows KKR mentor's 'real face' to the world

Gautam Gambhir, the former Indian cricketer and current mentor of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), is known for his grit, determination, and no-nonsense attitude both on and off the field, for which he often became the target of victims.

The opening batter displayed immense focus and resilience during his playing days, and even his passion for the game is still evident in his fierce competitiveness and commitment to winning in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he has been involved as a mentor for the past couple of years.

Sanjay Bhardwaj sheds light on Gautam Gambhir’s real persona 

However, Gambhir's fiery nature and willingness to stand up for his team members often resulted in clashes with the opposition team’s players, and the cricket world witnessed such an incident in the IPL 2023, when he was the mentor of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).

He had a heated exchange with Indian batting superstar Virat Kohli for Naveen-ul-Haq during an IPL 2023 clash between the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), and the matter remained so long with the cricket fraternity fueling fire to the matter.

Meanwhile, Gambhir’s childhood coach and Dronacharya award-winning coach, Sanjay Bhardwaj, shared his views on the former cricketer’s persona and the way people made him a villain. Speaking about Gambhir’s personality, the coach stressed that he is often misunderstood.

Bhardwaj noted that Gambhir's personality is such that he frequently finds himself in headlines for standing up for others. He also recalled last year’s infamous incident when he was criticized by many for taking the stand for Naveen against Kohli.

Gautam Gambhir fights for others, not for himself: Sanjay Bhardwaj

He urged people to understand Gambhir, as he values humanity above all while defending his misunderstood image in public. Sanjay Bhardwaj said in a podcast: “Gautam Gambhir is a different kind of person. I know him very well. Very few people know him well. His personality has been made such that he fights with people. Man, he doesn't fight; he doesn't fight for himself. Even if you abuse Gautam Gambhir, he will listen silently.

"But yes, if you say something to his teammates or a person with him, then he will not keep quiet. Last year, he had a fight in the IPL, but this fight was not his; he fought for Naveen Ul Haq. Gambhir always fights for others. If a person honestly fights for others and becomes a victim of criticism, then don't fight, brother.

"So, very few people understand Gautam Gambhir, and I think people should understand him. He is a very big person; he is a different kind of person, for whom the people around him are very important. Caste, religion, poor-rich, etc. are not even around him, and he doesn’t believe in all such crap. Only humanity matters to him.”

Watch Here: 

Gautam Gambhir: A Man who would take a bullet for his teammates but would never leave them alone 💪🏻🔥

From Bisla to Naveen Ul Haq he stood tall everytime the situation demanded !!@GautamGambhir pic.twitter.com/o1Pji87QmD

— Aditya ❄️ (@Hurricanrana_27) May 23, 2024

Notably, KKR, under the mentorship of Gambhir, qualified for the IPL 2024 final, and they will face either Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) or Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the summit clash on Sunday, May 26 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.