‘Main ja raha hu’: Gambhir refuses to fall into the trap; Sidhu somehow finds a way to create ‘history’ with India coach
Gautam Gambhir and Navjot Sidhu joined the celebrations after India beat New Zealand by four wickets to win the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
As soon as Ravindra Jadeja hit the winning runs, triggering unparalleled joy within the Indian dressing room, players including Hardik Pandya, Virat Kohli, and Shreyas Iyer were briefly interviewed, but the segment involving Gambhir and Sidhu was pure gold.
Such was the euphoria surrounding India’s Champions Trophy win that even Gambhir couldn’t control his emotions. The India coach, during a post-match interview with Sidhu, broke character – if you will – and summed up India’s win in the former cricketer-turned-commentator’s very own style – by cracking a ‘sher’. Gambhir teased Sidhu into using one of his lines, and while he started it, Sidhu completed it.
Here’s how the conversation flowed:
Sidhu: Gauti bhai… See…
Gambhir: Forget about me. You please recite your sher. Or shall I?
Sidhu: Alright. Go ahead.
Gambhir: It’s your sher.
Gambhir: Fann kuchalne ka hunar seekhiye janaab… complete the rest
Sidhu: Saanpo ke darr se jungle nahi chore jaate.
Sidhu then tried to lure Gambhir into doing something the world has rarely seen – break into a dance move, but the head coach outrightly refused. “Please create one more piece of history today. It’s a request from me, an elder brother. Show us some bhangra today,” said Sidhu. Gambhir did not budge, saying “Arre nahi, main chala jaunga (No way, I’ll leave).
Navjot Sidhu still finds a way
However, Sidhu and Aakash Chopra, managed a way to get one move out of Gambhir. The head coach raised his finger in the air, to give Sidhu company as the former cricketer shook a leg to ‘Sauda khara khara’.
Watch the epic moment below:
The win holds equal significance for Gambhir, who had seen some rough times since succeeding Rahul Dravid as India’s coach. Gambhir, who took over in July last year, lost an ODI series in Sri Lanka – India’s first bilateral series defeat to the Lankans in 28 years and endured a horror Test season. India were whitewashed 0-3 by New Zealand at home to end a 12-year unbeaten streak, and to add to Gambhir’s woes, the team also lost the Test series in Australia 1-3, surrendering the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under.
Plenty of questions were being raised and asked of him. Is he the right man for the job? Should Gambhir be pulled by the BCCI? Heck, fans even wanted him sacked and replaced by someone more credible, but Gambhir, a two-time World Cup winner for India, proved himself in front of his players, BCCI and the fans by playing a crucial hand in India winning their second ICC title in consecutive years. Sterner tests await – a gruelling five-Test tour of England, a T20 World Cup early next year and the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, but winning the Champions Trophy is a start nonetheless.