Gautam Gambhir plays for a bounty

Why should an ‘outsider’ like Ian Chappell comment on what’s good for the team, he asks. Known to be perpetually shy, vice-captain of the Indian cricket team explained, on Saturday, why he had issued a statement against Ian Chappell for allegedly wanting Gambhir out of the team.
He said this in front of none other than another much-mired-in-controversies man, Sourav Ganguly.And, it was no ordinary Saturday, mind you! Gauti, known to give bowlers a run for their money on the field, was in town to face bouncers on the hotseat from Dada on “Ke Hobey Banglar Kotipoti.”
From politics, Bollywood and cricket to memories of growing up, the shy Gambhir smiled and gradually opened up as the show progressed. “Yes, I am a bit different. My idol is Bhagat Singh and I have read everything about him. I have also watched “Ramayana” and “Mahabharata” and remember the stories,” said Gautam, in between answering questions and winning money on the show. “My Nani has been a great support in my life and she used to follow each and every match even before I made it to the national team. I was so scared of her that the days I didn’t score, I would not take her call. In the beginning, my mother used to be very superstitious and would not budge from her seat as long as the game continued, but now, they have accepted my playing cricket as a part of their lives, and don’t get affected so much,” he said.
But what had affected him so much that he was forced to issue a statement against Ian Chappel? “Whatever my performance was, an Indian like Sourav Ganguly has full right to comment on that, because that will be for the greater good of the team. But why should an outsider like Ian Chappell comment that I should be dropped from the team? This is the only reason I chose to issue a statement after Ian Chappell’s comment,” fumed Gautam, amidst much applause from the audience. Although he is the captain of an IPL team, Gautam feels that playing for the country is a different feeling altogether. “I’ve got a lot of love from Team Kolkata, but playing for the country means a lot of responsibility,” he said. Gautam also thinks that players should not be dropped the moment they fail to perform but should be given a chance to prove themselves. “After my centuries in Australia, I was much more confident about the game. From then on, there was no looking back. I believe, all players should be given a shot to make a mark for themselves and not dropped the moment they fail to deliver,” he said. But what if Gauti fails to answer a difficult question while on the hotseat? Would Dada give him another chance? Well, that will be revealed only once the episode is aired!