Sad my IPL runs weren’t enough to win India berth

REGRET For two successive seasons Gambhir scored close to 500 IPL runs but could not impress national selectors

NEWDELHI: In the newly renovated family home where he is about to move in after a gap of about two years, Gautam Gambhir has reserved an entire wall of a large hall for trophies and honours that he has gathered in a career spanning 25 years of cricket including 15 playing for India. The Arjuna award finds pride of place along with the ICC, Man-of-the-match and Man-of-the-series mementoes and other awards.

Gambhir will play his last competitive game from Thursday, a Ranji Trophy tie against Andhra, and a Man of the Match souvenir would be welcome. One day prior, the batsman had a free-wheeling conversation with Hindustan Times.

How would you like to be known? As an honest and committed man because these qualities are more important than numbers. What I stood for, I did and the commitment I played with. I never played for numbers, for 10,000 or 15000 runs, but only for commitment and stood for what was right. I can keep my head high and say I fought and stood for the right people and things.

What made you a streetfighter...

I had to fight for everything right from childhood; from 12 years of age when I went for U-14 trials at School Games and was rejected. It has been 25 years since and I’ve been fighting for everything at every step.

You draw your aggression from initial desire to be in the Army.

I still believe despite whatever I have achieved, I would have been better off in the Army. That remains my first love. That is the kind of attitude I have.

I made it to NDA (National Defence Academy) and Ranji the same year but since I was close to (making it to the) India team as that was the next thing after Ranji, I picked it after people around me insisted. But the trait and love for Army remains. What made you quit?

Runs are like money, depends on how you use them. I wanted to score to get into India team. When I couldn’t despite scoring around 500 runs in two successive IPL seasons, I decided my time was up.

Any regrets?

You always have regrets that you could have played more, especially two years back when I scored about 500 in two successive IPL seasons. But you look at others who want to play just one game for India and you realise you got so many opportunities. All those who have played for a substantial period, like Yuvraj, Harbhajan and Zaheer, got to play two (50-over) World Cups. I got just one and I am happy I helped India win the final (Man of the Match in 2011 final). Also, except for England, I got to tour overseas nations just once. With one tour you only acclimatise. People judge me but don’t realise I’ve been to South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and West Indies just once. We managed to win in New Zealand and that (winning Test series abroad), besides winning a 50-over World Cup, was my childhood dream.

You succeeded as KKR skipper. Did you fancy India captaincy? MS (Dhoni) was doing a great job back then but, yeah, everyone dreams of becoming India captain, especially in Tests. But it wasn’t my ultimate ambition. Captaincy is a byproduct of your game.

On Virat Kohli

I admire his batting, the way he is scoring runs. He is the key to India’s chances in the World Cup. He is a fantastic batsman. Any advise for Kohli as skipper...

I don’t want to advise anybody but leadership is different from captaincy. Aggression suits him, let him do that within rules. If it doesn’t suit Rahane or Rohit, let them be the way they are. Leadership is not about making people the way you are but finding out how the other 14 want to play and carry them along as well. There are different ways of being aggressive; people who show emotion, people who don’t. You don’t expect Pujara to be as expressive but he won’t be less aggressive. He’ll be fighting till the last drop of blood. Those guys are important, who don’t show emotions and are willing to fight. Another leadership quality is to give others security. At any stage of professional sportsmen’s career, there’ll be insecurity because there’ll be people waiting in the wings. One failure can shatter him, panic him, change his personality. He’ll doubt himself, go into depression or into a shell. As a leader you need to give them security as brother, friend or father figure. Captains are on the cricket field, leaders are off the field too. Security can help players and you bigger goals.

Plan to get into politics?

Can’t say. At the moment, I am focussing on tomorrow’s game against Andhra. People say that I want to get into politics. They can say. I accompanied Arun Jaitley for campaigning because of my personal rapport of 25 years. I speak on social media because I am a taxpayer and I have a right to question. Everyone should question the government. It is everyone’s right.

What food have you missed? Butter chicken and ‘daal makhni’ because of my fitness regimen. I’ll go all out on it for a while after the next game. But the sport has got me into a habit where I have to work on fitness. So, sooner or later, I’ll have to get back to it.

Aggression suits him, let him do that within rules. If it doesn’t suit Rahane or Rohit, let them be the way they are.