Kolkata: Deep down, I am an ardent admirer of Gautam Gambhir. I respect him for his tenacity and never-give-up attitude. As a human being he minces no words and has an opinion on almost everything under the Sun. But at times, his views which come straight from the heart, hurt people.
In a recent interview with Hindustan Times, Gambhir has said that he would want to end his IPL career with Delhi. Well, being a Delhi boy, obviously he has a soft corner for the city. But wait Gauti, what has the Delhi Daredevils given you? Well, you peaked in the IPL after you switched over to the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and quite justifiably, the fans in the City of Joy have given you a lot of love and respect.
As for yours truly, I started admiring Gauti more after he joined the KKR. Hasn’t the team gone against the general mood to entrust him with the captain’s job at the expense of the local boy, Sourav Ganguly? And yes, Gambhir hasn’t let Shah Rukh Khan and Kolkata fans down having led the team to two IPL triumphs.
Gambhir became a household name as a captain after he was made the man-in-charge of the KKR. Kolkatans accepted the outsider and he soon became a local boy. The crowds cheered for his team and soon Ganguly became a thing of the past so far as the KKR was concerned. Having given him so much of affection, as a Kolkatan it hurts when Gambhir shows his preference for some other city. Yes, his heart may still be with Delhi, but let him not do away with the fact that it is Kolkata which has made him a superhero. We Kolkatans are an emotional lot and needless to say emotional fools, because time and again, we are taken for granted.
As Gambhir leads his team against the Kings XI Punjab tonight at the Eden Gardens, it is guaranteed there will be no dearth of support for him. But deep down, something will haunt and especially if you are full of emotions. “Did we deserve to be treated in such a manner?” as a Kolkatan, you would wonder, wouldn’t you?
GG, Kolkata will still back you no matter how you reciprocate. Because we are passionate about our teams and sports as a whole. Thank you, for your contributions to the KKR. Hope to see you lifting the IPL trophy for the third time. You will always be special in our hearts, come what may!