Former India internationals S Sreesanth and Gautam Gambhir were locked in a heated altercation in the Legends League Cricket 2023 Eliminator between India Capitals and Gujarat Giants on December 6 at the Lalabhai Contractor Stadium in Surat.
The incident occurred during the match after India Capitals chose to bat against the Gujarat Giants. While Gambhir was at the crease, a verbal spat erupted between him and Sreesanth, prompting umpire intervention to restore order.
The batsman hit the pacer for a four and a six on back-to-back deliveries and after that when he found the fielder, Sreesanth let his tongue do the talking.
Bet here on LLC and other cricket matches!
However, after the game, which the Capitals won by 12 runs, Sreesanth criticized Gambhir for provoking him without cause.
Expressing deep hurt, Sreesanth accused Gambhir of lacking respect for colleagues and senior players. He clarified that Gambhir verbally attacked him without provocation, using inappropriate language that should not be tolerated on the cricket field.
What did S Sreesanth say?
"Just wanted to clear some air on what happened with Mr. Fighter, who always fights with all his colleagues for no reason whatsoever. He doesn’t even respect his own senior players, including Viru bhai and a lot of people. That’s exactly what happened today. Without any provocation, he just kept on calling me, something which is very rude and something which should not have been said by Mr. Gautam Gambhir.
“So, I just want to tell you all that I am not at all at fault. I just wanted to clear the air straight away. Sooner or later you’ll get to know what Gauti has done. The words which he used and the things he said on a cricket field live are not acceptable,” Sreesanth said after the match in a video.
6... 4... Showdown! Watch till the end for Gambhir 👀 Sreesanth.
— FanCode (@FanCode) December 6, 2023
.
.#LegendsOnFanCode @llct20 pic.twitter.com/SDaIw1LXZP
"He said things which he should not have said, and I just want all of you to know that I will surely let you all know what he said. What’s the point of representing people if you don’t respect colleagues?
“Even in life when he is asked about Virat (Kohli), he never speaks about him and speaks about something else. I don’t want to go further in detail. Just want to say I am very hurt, my family is hurt, and my dear ones are hurt. I never abused him, but he kept on saying words, which he always does,” he added.
Emotions are always running high, when you were very passionate about your game.
— Nikhil 🏏 (@CricCrazyNIKS) December 6, 2023
Sreesanth and Gambhir in an animated chat during the @llct20 Eliminator!#LegendsLeagueCricket pic.twitter.com/Qjz8LqC41l
Did Gautam Gambhir react to S Sreesanth?
After Sreesanth expressed his point of view on social media, the story took another turn later on Thursday, as Gambhir seemingly responded to the former India pacer's words. He posted the following on his official Instagram account.
Gambhir's caption saying "Smile when the world is all about attention," appeared to be a reference to Sreesanth's statements. It remains to be seen what will happen next in this situation.
What next for Gautam Gambhir and India Capitals?
Despite the off-field tensions, Gambhir had a successful outing with the bat, scoring 51 runs off 30 balls, while Sreesanth took one wicket, dismissing Rusty Theron. Gambhir an CO will next face Manipal Tigers in the second qualifier in a bid to reach the final where Urbanrisers Hyderabad await them.
Ready to make your predictions and win on the International Cricket matches? To find all the latest odds, betting and cricket scores and fixtures from India click here
