The Legends League Cricket (LLC) 2023 Eliminator in Surat turned heated as a confrontation unfolded between Gujarat Giants bowler S Sreesanth and India Capitals skipper Gautam Gambhir. Tensions escalated during the second over of India Capitals’ innings, with Gambhir hitting Sreesanth for a boundary and a maximum. A brief exchange of words occurred after Sreesanth delivered a dot ball.
Emotions are always running high, when you were very passionate about your game.
— Nikhil 🏏 (@CricCrazyNIKS) December 6, 2023
Sreesanth and Gambhir in an animated chat during the @llct20 Eliminator!#LegendsLeagueCricket pic.twitter.com/Qjz8LqC41l
Following the game, Sreesanth addressed the incident during a live session on his official Instagram account. He asserted that Gambhir had mocked him during the match, using derogatory language. Sreesanth expressed disappointment at Gambhir’s behavior and clarified his side of the story.
“Unfortunately, we lost the legends, but thank you for all the love and support,” Sreesanth began. “Just wanted to clear the air with what happened with Mr. Fighter – one who always fights with all his colleagues, for no reason whatsoever. He does not even respect his own senior players, including Viru Bhai. That’s exactly what happened today.”
According to Sreesanth, Gambhir verbally taunted him without provocation, using inappropriate language. The former Indian pacer emphasized that he was not at fault and aimed to set the record straight. He promised to reveal the details of what Gambhir said on the field.
“I am not at all at fault here. I just wanted to clear the air straight away. What Mr. Gauti has done, sooner or later, all of you will get to know. The words he used and the things he said on a cricket field, live, are not acceptable. My family, my state, everybody has gone through so much. I fought that battle with all your support. Now people want to down me for no reason. He said things he shouldn’t have said. I will surely let you know what he said,” Sreesanth stated.
Highlighting Gambhir’s previous disputes, especially with Virat Kohli, Sreesanth questioned the lack of respect for colleagues. He expressed hurt over the incident and emphasized that he maintained composure without resorting to inappropriate language.
Sreesanth’s wife also commented on the Instagram video, questioning Gambhir’s upbringing. She found it shocking that a former India teammate could exhibit such behavior, even after retiring from active cricket.
India Capitals emerged victorious in the game, defeating Gujarat Giants by 12 runs and eliminating them from the tournament. The Capitals will now face Manipal Tigers in the second qualifier, with the winner securing a place in the final against Urbanrisers Hyderabad.