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Gautam Gambhir shared a revealing story from his childhood to explain why public perception doesn't bother him. He recounted to Ravichandran Ashwin on a podcast that when he was around 12 or 13, he didn't get selected for his first under-14 cricket tournament because he refused to touch the selector's feet. This experience led him to vow never to touch anyone's feet for favors. He believes in merit and hard work rather than seeking favors through gestures of respect.

Fighting perceptions

Gambhir has often faced mixed opinions about his personality. Despite his significant achievements with the Indian cricket team and his successful captaincy in the Indian Premier League (IPL), his outspoken nature as a pundit has sparked controversies. Ashwin noted that Gambhir's public image seems to overshadow his on-field actions. Gambhir responded by discussing how he was perceived early in his career. People thought he didn't need to succeed in cricket because he came from a well-off family, assuming he had other career options. This perception persisted through his failures in under-16, under-19, Ranji Trophy, and even his early international career.

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Gambhir emphasized that this perception was the toughest to overcome. He wanted to prove that he was more dedicated to cricket than others, and once he achieved that, other opinions no longer affected him. Gambhir retired in March 2019 after playing 58 Tests, 147 ODIs, and 37 T20Is, scoring over 15,000 runs in first-class cricket and over 10,000 runs in one-day matches. He was a key player in India's victories in the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 World Cup, where he scored a crucial 97 runs in the final.

Post-retirement career

Since retiring, Gambhir has become a commentator and mentor. He was a mentor for the Lucknow Super Giants in the 2022 and 2023 IPL seasons and returned to the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as a team mentor. Under his guidance, KKR topped the league stage and is set to face Sunrisers Hyderabad in the first qualifier.

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Gautam Gambhir's journey from facing childhood rejections to becoming one of IPL's most successful captains highlights his determination and resilience, showing why public perception no longer influences him.