Gautam Gambhir, one of India’s most underrated batsmen among Indian cricket fans has retired from all forms of cricket.

He had an aggressive mentality when it came to approaching the sport, not only as a batsman but also as a captain when he lead Kolkata Knight Riders to victory during the finals of the Indian Premier League in 2012 and 2014. He also inspired his younger teammates to give their best not only for KKR but also when he played for team India and Delhi as his passion for the game tended to rub off on other players.

His batting style had all the makings of a movie as it was the perfect mix of art and action. Gambhir’s majestic late cut was a treat for the eyes of the fans who were either glued to the television set or whose voice amplified with every shot in the stadium.

Great players always find a way to mask their weakness and Gambhir at his peak knew how to do that as he shred opposition bowlers while creating a formidable opening partnership with Virendra Sehwag. What set Gautam Gambhir apart from most other batsmen was his knack of bailing his team out of trouble, for instance, his 75 against Pakistan in Johannesburg during the inaugural T-20 World Cup Finals in 2007.

He was also a clutch for India during the 2011 World Cup finals and scored 97, his innings along with Mahendra Singh Dhoni helped steady the ship and propelled India towards their second World Cup after a gap of 18 years.

Be it elbowing Shane Watson in the midriff while running or taking Arvind Kejriwal to task over his promises to the people of Delhi, Gambhir always wore his heart on his sleeve and was not shy of confronting someone when he felt he had to. He has never shied away from controversy proving that there is still a lot more left of Gautham Gambhir that we are yet to witness.

Farewell to a legend and Merci.