Gautam Gambhir vs Shahid Afridi: A Rivalry Written In Fire And Fury

Jatin

Shahid Afridi and Gautam Gambhir [Source: @i_mAfridi/x.com]Shahid Afridi and Gautam Gambhir [Source: @i_mAfridi/x.com]

Some cricket rivalries end with the last ball bowled but some, like Gautam Gambhir vs Shahid Afridi, refuse to fade away. What started with a mid-pitch collision in Kanpur back in 2007 has snowballed into one of cricket’s longest-running off-field battles.

Even years after hanging up their boots, both men continue to trade blows, not with the bat and ball, but with words. Let’s take a detailed look at the entire timeline of Gautam Gambhir vs Shahid Afridi rivalry.

The Spark In Kanpur

November 11, 2007. India vs Pakistan, third ODI at Kanpur. India posted 294 for 6, thanks to Yuvraj Singh’s 77 and MS Dhoni’s 49. Pakistan, riding on Salman Butt’s classy 129, could only reach 248. India won by 46 runs, but the match is remembered more for the fireworks between Gambhir and Afridi.

Gautam Gambhir crawled to 25 off 49 balls with Shahid Afridi sledging him throughout. Frustrated, Gambhir threw verbal volleys back. The flashpoint came when Gambhir collided with Afridi while running a single.

The two stood chest-to-chest, exchanging heated words until umpire Ian Gould stepped in. Both were fined later. Afridi docked 95% of his match fee, Gambhir 65%.

Match referee Roshan Mahanama summed it up perfectly:

“Even if the collision was accidental, it was inappropriate. There was a build-up to the incident, and then they stood toe-to-toe, arguing mid-pitch immediately afterward.”

The Feud Refuses To Die

One might have thought tempers would cool with time. Instead, the animosity grew. Shahid Afridi, in his autobiography Game Changer, got the details wrong, linking the incident to the Asia Cup and claiming:

“The umpires had to finish it off or I would have. Clearly, we had a frank bilateral discussion about each other’s female relatives.”

Afridi also attacked Gambhir’s personality:

“Gambhir behaves like he’s a cross between Don Bradman and James Bond. In Karachi, we call guys like him saryal (burnt up). Aggressive or competitive is fine, but one must be positive — Gambhir wasn’t.”

Gambhir, never one to back down, fired back:

“Some people grow in age, not mentally. Shahid Afridi may be 36 or 37 years old, but he is mentally 16.”

Barbs In Public

As Gambhir turned cricket analyst and later politician, the rivalry found new stages. Afridi often took digs at public events. At one book launch, he quipped:

“I think Gautam Gambhir may have some problems. I am working with hospitals and can get him good treatment. The Indian government doesn’t usually grant visas to our people, but I will arrange one for Gautam so that he can receive treatment here.”

Gambhir hit back just as hard:

“My records are open. I became ICC Test Player of the Year, won Test series and World Cups. People will judge what I have done for the country. Some people are mentally unwell and need psychiatric help.”

Will It Ever End?

Both men have been match-winners in their own right. Afridi brought flamboyance and unpredictability, Gambhir grit and big-match temperament. Yet, off the field, they have been like oil and water. Their clash has become part of cricket history as famous as their on-field exploits.

Nearly two decades on, the Kanpur spat still casts a shadow. Neither man looks ready to bury the hatchet. Fans remember the sixes, the centuries and the wins, but the Gambhir-Afridi feud remains a story of its own which shows some battles don’t end with stumps being pulled out.