Gautam Gambhir has fueled the fire of complex rivalry between Pakistan and India, declaring his unreasonable act as a reaction to anti-India chants from Pakistani fans.
The former Indian cricketer faced criticism for his recent behavior during the Asia Cup match in Sri Lanka. Gambhir, who is on the commentary panel for the Asia Cup, drew attention for his inappropriate reaction to chants from fans. In the viral video, Indian spectators in the crowd were enthusiastically chanting “Kohli, Kohli,” referring to the star batter, Virat Kohli.
In response to the chants, Gambhir appeared visibly upset and allegedly made an inappropriate gesture towards the fans before leaving the scene. This behavior was met with disapproval from both cricket enthusiasts and the general public.
Gautam Gambhir 👀pic.twitter.com/5wj1bCddm4
— CricTracker (@Cricketracker) September 4, 2023
Gambhir later explained his actions with a dodgy reason, citing that some Pakistani fans in the crowd were shouting anti-India slogans and making comments about Kashmir. He asserted that as an Indian, he could not tolerate such behavior towards his country and reacted accordingly.
Gambhir talking about the viral video spreading on social media. [Jagran News] pic.twitter.com/p4OHlGgLvH
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) September 4, 2023
While patriotism is a sentiment many cherish, Gambhir’s response was seen by some as excessive and unbecoming of a former international cricketer. Gautam Gambhir was called out by the fans for attempting to conceal his misbehavior in the mask of the India-Pakistan rivalry.
