Gautam Gambhir requests BJP president to relieve him of political duties

Cricketer Gautam Gambhir on Saturday urged BJP national president J.P. Nadda to relieve him of political duties so that he can focus on his cricketing commitments.

“I have requested Hon’ble Party President @JPNadda ji to relieve me of my political duties,” Gambhir wrote on X. “I sincerely thank Hon’ble PM @narendramodi ji and Hon’ble HM @AmitShah ji for giving me the opportunity to serve the people. Jai Hind!.”

Gambhir joined the BJP on 22 March 2019, and was the party's candidate from East Delhi for the 2019 general election, which he won by 695,109 votes against Atishi of the Aam Aadmi Party and Arvinder Singh Lovely of the Congress. He also received the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award in India, from the Union government in 2019.

As part of his new cricketing commitments, Gambhir will be seen as a mentor to the Kolkata Night Riders in the upcoming Indian Premium League season. This marks a homecoming of sorts, since it was under Gambhir's captaincy that KKR won their first IPL title in 2012, and staged a repeat in 2014.