Soon after the retirement of legends like Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, Indian fans were waiting for the era where senior batsmen like Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag would lead the next generation of Indian batsmen. However, that did not happen as both Gambhir and Sehwag lost their form almost immediately after the retirement of the greats. Consequently, they lost their places to Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan in Test cricket while Rohit began opening for India in limited-overs cricket along with Dhawan.
Former chairman of the senior selection committee Dilip Vengsarkar, who was part of the selection process during the best years of Gambhir and Sehwag termed the left-hander as an underrated plater. Vengsarkar further said that it was Gambhir’s anger that worked against him.
“Underrated player. Had a lot of talent but couldn’t control his anger and emotions. I feel that for the kind of ability he had, he should have played much more for India,” Vengsarkar told Times of India.
Gambhir who made his debut for India in 2003 against Bangladesh, last for India in 2016 in a Test match. He announced his retirement from all forms of cricket in 2018.