IPL 2018: Gautam Gambhir contradicts Delhi Daredevils coach Ricky Ponting over stepping down remarks

Sudhir Gupta 17:24 23/05/2018
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  • Gambhir has said he never stood down as a player. Image - IPL/Twitter.

    Delhi Daredevils skipper Gautam Gambhir has reiterated the fact that he did not step down as a player after relinquishing his captaincy in the middle of the IPL season to Shreyas Iyer.

    Last month, the 38-year-old stood down from the Daredevils captaincy after a run of five defeats in his side’s opening six matches in the IPL this year. The former Kolkata Knight Riders stalwart had struggled with the bat individually as well, managing just 86 runs.

    After giving up the captain’s armband, Gambhir did not feature in the playing XI at all as Indian U19 star Prithvi Shaw claimed his place in the team for the remaining matches.

    After the season-ending win over Mumbai Indians, Delhi Daredevils coach Ricky Ponting had suggested that Gambhir had made way for other batsmen in the wake of his decision to step down as the skipper of the team.

    Ponting suggested that Gambhir made way for Shaw. Image - IPL/Twitter.

    Ponting suggested that Gambhir made way for Shaw. Image – IPL/Twitter.

    “I thought it was a really courageous decision for a senior Indian player to make. You don’t see those made every day,” Ponting had said at the post-match press conference.

    “He stood down for what he thought was for the betterment of the team. He made way for someone like Prithvi Shaw.

    “That says a lot about him as a human being, says a lot about his character.”

    However, Gambhir has contradicted his coach’s statement in an interview with Wah Cricket.

    “I never dropped myself from the playing XI. If that was the case I would’ve announced my retirement as well,” Gambhir said.

    “I never rejected from playing in the side and the team management and Ricky Ponting is also aware of the fact,” he added.

    The Daredevils finished at the bottom of the table though they did manage to end their season on a high with wins over Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians.

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