Former Indian opener and incumbent BJP MP, Gautam Gambhir, has explained his controversial gesture directed at the crowd during the Asia Cup match between India and Nepal. Gambhir stated that his gesture was in response to “anti-India chants” from some fans in the crowd. He emphasized that he is not one to remain silent when confronted with such comments. He urged cricket fans to keep politics separate from sports.
The incident involved a video that went viral, showing Gambhir making an obscene gesture to the crowd. In the video, chants of “Kohli, Kohli” were audible as Gambhir walked back to the broadcasting area from the ground in Pallekele. Gambhir claimed that not everything was shown on social media and alleged that he heard anti-India chants from the crowd, including slogans about Kashmir.
Gambhir explained his stance after returning from commentary during India’s second match against Nepal, saying that he reacted because he couldn’t ignore derogatory comments about his country. He emphasized that when people attend a match, they should support their teams without bringing up political issues or speaking ill about India.
Social media users also commented on the incident, with one user joking that everyone should chant Dhoni’s name to provoke Gambhir further. Another user questioned Gambhir’s apparent dislike for his former colleague Kohli. An Indian journalist criticized Gambhir’s sportsmanship and labeled his gesture as in bad taste.
This incident is not the first time that Gambhir has reacted strongly to chants of “Kohli, Kohli” from the crowd, as a similar incident occurred during an Indian Premier League match earlier in the year, where Gambhir paused to address someone during the chants.
