Gautam Gambhir

Full name Gautam Gambhir
Born October 14, 1981, Delhi
Tests Profile | One-Day Profile
Major teams
India, Delhi, Indian Board President's XI, Rajasthan Cricket Association President's XI
Batting style Left-hand bat
Bowling style Legbreak
As a 17-year-old stripling in 2000, Gautam Gambhir's attacking strokeplay at the top of the order for Delhi set tongues wagging in India, not least in the ranks of the opposition. Fast-bowler bullies have paid the price for mistaking Gambhir's slight build and shy demeanour for signs of meekness. His compact footwork, high bat-speed and a brashly youthful approach befuddled bowlers more than once as cautious defence was replaced by the aerial route over point. His success took him close to the Indian side when Zimbabwe toured early in 2002. He had pasted successive double-centuries ­ one for Delhi and another for the Board Presidents' XI against the tourists ­ and seemed to be a shoo-in as Shiv Sunder Das's opening partner. But the selectors persisted instead with the band-aid solution of Deep Dasgupta.

Gutted but determined, Gambhir soldiered on, pressing his case with particular urgency in the West Indies with the Indian A side early in 2003. When several senior players asked to be rested after the World Cup, Gambhir was summoned from the wings into the national squad for the TVS Cup in Dhaka. And then, the biggest reward: a call-up into India's Test squad for the fourth Test against Australia at Mumbai, in 2004-05. He has had a stop-start career so far, unable to cement his spot in either Test or ODI team, but got another chance after India's poor showing in the 2007 World Cup, being picked for the one-day series in Bangladesh.