Gautam Gambhir: Indian cricket should be ruled by the 15 people sitting in the dressing room and not by Heroes

Gautam Gambhir, a former India cricketer and two-time World Cup champion, has criticized the ‘hero worship’ that is pervasive in the Indian cricket fraternity, not just among fans but also in the media and even the broadcasters themselves. Gambhir argues that this culture, which stretches back to 1983 when India won the cricket World Cup, has led to supporters idolizing individuals such as Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, and Kapil Dev to the point that they have forgotten or dismissed the achievements of other members of the squad.

“Don’t make monsters in the locker room. Indian cricket should be the only monster, not an individual,” Gambhir told reporters. “Do you believe that hero worship suffocates the next rising star? Nobody has matured under that shadow. Previously, it was Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and now it is Virat Kohli,” he added.

Backing up his statements, Gambhir cited the India-Afghanistan Asia Cup match, which was dominated by Kohli’s 71st international century. He feels Kohli received all of the attention because of the hero-worship mentality, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s performance was largely overlooked.

“When Kohli hit a century and there was this young kid from Meerut who also took five wickets, no one cared to mention him. This was quite unfortunate. During that commentary period, I was the only one who mentioned that. He bowled four overs and took five wickets, which I don’t believe anyone is aware of. But Kohli makes a century, and there are fireworks all around the country. India must break free from hero worship. It doesn’t matter if it’s Indian cricket or politics. We must cease idolizing heroes. The only thing we need to adore is Indian cricket,” Gambhir said.

Gambir went on to say, “Who made that? It is the result of two factors. First, by social media followers, which are perhaps the most fabricated thing in our society since you are assessed based on the number of followers you have. That is what gives rise to a brand.”

“Second, by the news media and broadcasters. When you keep talking about the same individual day after day, it finally becomes a brand. That was the case in 1983. Why begin with Dhoni? It began in 1983. It was all about Kapil Dev when India won the inaugural World Cup. It was Dhoni who led us to victories in 2007 and 2011. Who made that? None of the participants did. Neither did the BCCI. Have news outlets or broadcasters ever mentioned Indian cricket? Have we ever discussed how important it is for Indian cricket to thrive? There are more than two or three persons involved in Indian cricket. They do not rule Indian cricket, and they should not dominate it. The 15 persons sitting in that locker room should run Indian cricket. Everyone can make a difference…… In my whole life, I’ve never been able to follow somebody. That has been my major issue. No one else establishes a brand save the media and broadcasters,” Gambhir added.