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In their prime, Shahid Afridi, the former captain of Pakistan, and Gautam Gambhir, the ex-Indian opening batsman, were synonymous with an intense rivalry that extended both on and off the cricket field. The reverberations of their spirited clashes have endured beyond their retirement, with occasional verbal exchanges between the two players continuing on social media platforms.
The roots of the Afridi-Gambhir feud can be traced back to a heated encounter between India and Pakistan in Kanpur in 2007. The fierce competition during that ODI match ignited a long-standing rivalry between the two players, a topic that cricket enthusiasts have discussed for years.
Speaking openly on the YouTube show ‘Had Kar Di’ hosted by Pakistan actor Momin Saqib, Afridi delved into whether he intentionally provoked Gambhir during their playing days. Afridi shed light on the psychological tactics often employed in cricket, underscoring that such strategies are inherent to the game. He also emphasized that Gambhir’s demeanor set him apart from his Indian peers and highlighted that Gambhir’s reputation extended to his own national team.
“These things go on cricket. It’s normal. And I feel it has been more hyped up in social media. Woh different kisam ka character hain, aam players se thoda alag hain (He has a different character from that of normal players). His reputation is the same in Team India as well. It is not like it was only with me…he…I feel we should discuss more positive things in this show,” Afridi conveyed.
Afridi praised Gambhir’s batting
Prompted by the show’s host, Afridi proceeded to highlight a positive attribute of Gambhir, praising his exceptional batting skills. Afridi acknowledged, “Very few Indian batters I seen having such good timing with the bat. He is an outstanding player.”
Gambhir’s cricket journey encompassed 58 Tests, 147 ODIs and 37 T20Is for India. His exceptional performances amassed over 10,000 runs across formats, which included an impressive tally of 20 centuries. Gambhir played pivotal roles in India’s 2007 T20 World Cup victory and their 2011 ODI World Cup triumph.
Earlier this year, a surprising turn of events unfolded when Gambhir and Afridi participated in the Legends League Cricket. Afridi checked upon Gambhir after the latter was hit on the helmet -an unexpected sight for followers of their rivalry. However, any hopes of a complete reconciliation appear distant, as suggested by Afridi’s recent revelations.
