From taking on pace bowlers to standing up for wronged teammate, VVS Laxman says Gautam Gambhir knew not to 'back down'

As part of his initiative to tribute his Indian teammates who immensely influenced him, VVS Laxman has now praised cricketer turned politician Gautam Gambhir.

The former India batsman complimented Gambhir saying that he never shied away from any challenge on the cricket field.

Laxman tweeted about the left-handed batsman saying, "Massively inquisitive and totally obsessed with the game, @GautamGambhir never shied away from a challenge on a cricket field. Whether it was taking on express pace bowlers on spicy tracks overseas or standing up for a wronged teammate, he knew not what it was to back down".

 June 11, 2020

As for Gambhir, the former cricketer played a total of 58 Test matches scoring 4154 runs with an average of 41.96. In ODIs, he appeared in 147 matches and made 5238 runs with an average of 39.68.

Gambhir even helped India win the finals of the T20 World Cup 2007 and 50-over World Cup 2011. In the finals against Pakistan in T20 World Cup, Gambhir even played a match-winning knock of 75 runs and this innings helped India to post an above-par score.

Gambhir was also exceptional in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as he took Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the title win in 2012 and 2014.

When it comes to records, Gambhir was the only Indian and one of four international cricketers to have scored hundreds in five consecutive Test matches. He is also the only Indian batsman to have scored more than 300 runs in four consecutive Test series.

In 2019, he was also conferred with the Padma Shri award, which is the fourth highest civilian award in India.