Gautam Gambhir quits politics to honour cricket commitments

Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir has announced his departure from his political career to concentrate on his forthcoming cricket engagements ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Gambhir, who ventured into politics in March 2019 by joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has decided to step down from his political duties, as per his recent social media declaration.

Gambhir's political journey commenced on March 22, 2019, when he officially joined the BJP in the presence of Union ministers Arun Jaitley and Ravi Shankar Prasad. Representing the party, he contested the 2019 Indian general election from East Delhi and emerged victorious with a significant margin against his opponents.

Also read: Rohit Sharma set to break Gautam Gambhir's Test record

Gautam Gambhir decides to quit politics

In his latest social media announcement, Gambhir expressed his gratitude towards the BJP leadership, including Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Hon’ble Home Minister Amit Shah, for the opportunity to serve the people. 

"I have requested Hon’ble Party President @JPNadda ji to relieve me of my political duties so that I can focus on my upcoming cricket commitments. I sincerely thank Hon’ble PM @narendramodi ji and Hon’ble HM @AmitShah ji for giving me the opportunity to serve the people. Jai Hind!," the post read.

Before joining politics, Gambhir had a remarkable cricketing career, representing India in all three formats of the game. He was a vital member of the Indian team that won the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 in 2007 and the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2011. His contributions in both tournaments were noteworthy, particularly his match-winning knocks in the WC finals.

Also read: Manoj Tiwary recalls verbal spat with 'immature' Gautam Gambhir

In addition to his decision to quit politics, Gambhir has also parted ways with the IPL franchise Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), where he served as a mentor for the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He will now be joining Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the same capacity, marking his second stint with the franchise. Gambhir had previously been associated with KKR as a player and led the team to their two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014.