Former Team India pacer S. Sreesanth addressed the intense on-field exchange with Delhi MP and ex-Team India opener Gautam Gambhir during the Legends League Cricket (LLC) clash between Gujarat Giants and India Capitals on Wednesday. Sreesanth, in a post-match video, described Gambhir as a fighter but accused him of using inappropriate language during the game. The incident, featuring a viral death stare, unfolded after Gambhir hit Sreesanth for a six and a four.
In the video, Sreesanth defended himself, stating, "Just wanted to clear the air with what happened with our Mr fighter. He is the one who always fights with all his colleagues. For no reason whatsoever. He does not even respect his own senior players, including Viru Bhai (Virender Sehwag). That's exactly what happened today. Without any provocation, he just kept on calling me something which was very rude which should not have been said by Mr Gautam Gambhir."
The former pacer emphasized that he was not at fault and claimed that Gambhir used foul language against him. He expressed, "I am not at all at fault here. I just wanted to clear the air straight away. What Mr Gauti (Gautam Gambhir) has done, sooner or later all of you will get to know. The words which he used and the things he said on a cricket field, live, is not acceptable."
Sreesanth pledged to reveal more about the incident, asserting, "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 should not have said. I will surely let you know what he said."
He maintained that while he refrained from using abusive language, Gambhir verbally attacked him, stating, "What's the point of representing people if you don't respect your own colleagues? Even in broadcasting when he is asked about Virat, he never speaks about him. He speaks about something else. I don't want to go further in detail. Just want to say I am very hurt and my family is hurt and my dear ones are hurt. And the way he said things. I haven't used a single bad word or a single abuse, nothing. He just kept on saying words which he always does."
In the LLC Eliminator game, Gambhir contributed significantly, scoring 51 off 30 balls, propelling India Capitals to set a target of 223/7 in 20 overs. Sreesanth bowled three overs, conceding 35 runs and managing to secure only one wicket. Despite his efforts, Gujarat Giants fell short, scoring 211 for the loss of 7 wickets, resulting in a 12-run defeat.
