Sandeep Patil talks about his friendship with Gautam Gambhir

The man who was a part of two World Cup winning campaigns for India is not having a good time on the field. When Gautam Gambhir was named as the skipper of the Delhi Daredevils, many expected him to do well and carry on his winning formula. But tables turned and six games later Gambhir finds himself sitting on the bench with Daredevils being led by a new captain.

In the last decade, the southpaw was one of the most sought-after players in Indian cricket. He was an impact player for the team across all formats. Gambhir was the top-scorer when India beat Pakistan in the final of the inaugural World T20. The southpaw was looking destined to create his own legacy in the game.

His reputation was further enhanced after his starring performance in the 2011 World Cup. But things took a downturn since then and former chief selector Sandeep Patil has revealed that Gambhir ended their friendship after he was dropped from the Indian team.

Attitude matters

The rise of Shikhan Dhawan brought bad news to Gambhir and he was eventually ousted from the team. Murali Vijay too started doing well in red ball cricket and it added misery to the southpaw. Gambhir has worked very hard on his game to make the opening slot his own. Patil’s relationship with Gambhir got stronger day by day and they discussed his performances over the phone regularly.

I would observe a glow on Gambhir’s face as he climbed the stairs of success in his career. Our friendship continued for the next 7-8 years and everything was going well in his career. But suddenly, he was dropped from the Indian team and the main reason behind it was his ever-growing so-called ‘attitude problem’,” Sandeep Patil wrote in his column for Quint.

Patil also added that Gambhir’s attitude got him into the team but the same attitude was the reason for his ouster. He was nicknamed as the Amitabh Bachchan of Indian cricket. “I firmly believe that every cricketer has some kind of an attitude problem; but if a player shows the same to his own teammates, then it can have a negative impact. Unfortunately, this way I have lost some good friends. But for me, Indian cricket team and Indian cricket’s future was always the priority,” added Patil.

The 2011 England series cost Gambhir dearly. The southpaw was hit on the head and decided to return to India where scans revealed that his injury was not serious at all and he could have continued in that series. This attitude changed everything for Gambhir.

Things have not improved between the duo and Patil believes that Gambhir is still angry with him. But when it comes to playing for India, friendship and emotions do not work. One has to be good enough to survive in the highest form of the game.

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