Former India fast bowler S Sreesanth has once again spoken about his on-field altercation with Gautam Gambhir during a Legends League Cricket (LLC) match in December 2023. The former pacer has now made fresh allegations against the current India head coach.
Sreesanth claimed that Gambhir not only called him a “fixer” but also used the word “Deshdrohi” during their heated exchange. The incident had attracted widespread attention when Sreesanth first revealed that Gambhir allegedly used the term “fixer” against him.
Sreesanth Recalls What Happened During the Match
Speaking in an interview with Lallantop, Sreesanth shared more details about the confrontation. According to him, the argument started after he bowled a bouncer to Gambhir during the LLC match.
“Gauti (Gambhir) stepped out on the first ball and flicked it because he knows my (game), he’s a very good cricketer. I don’t know about the coaching part, but he’s a very good cricketer. So, I bowled the bouncer,” Sreesanth said.
The former India pacer then claimed that Gambhir reacted aggressively and made personal remarks.
“And you know what he said? ‘I own you’. It was clear, he abused me. What he shouldn’t have said, he did, he called me a ‘fixer’,” Sreesanth elaborated.
Sreesanth further stated that he tried to calm the situation before the exchange became more serious.
“I leaned forward and asked him, ‘Gauti bhai, are you okay?’ Because I was huge, it looked like I would hit him. Then he was doing ‘F-F’ (using the F-word). Then he again said ‘fixer’, ‘Deshdrohi’,” he further claimed.
Interestingly, Gambhir and Sreesanth were teammates in India’s victorious campaigns at the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup. However, their relationship appears to have worsened over the years.
The alleged “fixer” remark is believed to be linked to Sreesanth’s involvement in the IPL 2013 spot-fixing case. The pacer later returned to competitive cricket after serving a reduced ban.
Meanwhile, Gambhir has enjoyed success as India’s head coach, helping the team win major ICC and continental trophies in recent years.
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