Gautam Gambhir: A Journey from Cricket Stalwart to Parliamentarian

Gautam Gambhir was born on October 14, 1981, in New Delhi, India. He started playing cricket at a young age and was part of the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore.

Gambhir made his first-class debut for Delhi in the 1999-2000 season. He quickly established himself as a reliable opener and became one of the top run-scorers in domestic cricket.

Gambhir made his One Day International (ODI) debut for India against Bangladesh on April 11, 2003. He made his Test debut later that year against Australia on November 3, 2004.

Gambhir played a crucial role in India's victory in the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup in 2007. He was the top scorer in the final against Pakistan, scoring 75 runs off 54 balls.

Gambhir had an exceptional run in Test cricket during 2008-2009. He scored centuries in four consecutive Test matches and was named the ICC Test Player of the Year in 2009.

One of Gambhir's most memorable performances came in the final of the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup against Sri Lanka. He scored 97 runs and played a crucial role in India winning the World Cup after 28 years.

Gambhir was a prominent figure in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He captained the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) from 2011 to 2017, leading them to two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014. He also played for the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals).

Known for his aggressive and tactical approach, Gambhir captained India in six ODIs, winning all six. He was also a successful captain for KKR in the IPL..

Gautam Gambhir announced his retirement from all forms of cricket in December 2018. His farewell match was against Andhra Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy, where he scored a century in his final innings.

After retiring from cricket, Gambhir entered politics. He joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in March 2019 and was elected as a Member of Parliament from the East Delhi constituency in the 2019 general elections. He is also involved in various philanthropic activities through the Gautam Gambhir Foundation.