Out-of-favour India opener Gautam Gambhir is still hopeful of a national comeback and will only call time on his career once he gets the feeling of being out of place in international cricket.
With Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma being certainties for opening slot in ODIs, and Murali Vijay doing reasonably well in Tests, Gambhir’s career as of now has hit a roadblock as he fights to atleast get into the squad as the third opener in national team’s tour to South Africa.
“As long as the belief is still there, I can play international cricket, I will continue to play. But the moment I feel I can’t play international cricket anymore, I will retire,” Gambhir said at a promotional event in New Delhi on Wednesday.
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For Gambhir, who has enjoyed so much success with the Indian team, it is difficult to find himself outside the hallowed dressing room. But the left-handed opener insisted that he doesn’t play cricket to make comebacks.
“I always said that I don’t play cricket to make comebacks. I play cricket because I enjoy the game. The word comeback is not in my dictionary,” said the Delhi captain.
“As a cricketer, I give my best for the team’s success. I am a player first who needs to be honest with the team. As a player, the aim should be to go out there and do the job to the best of your ability and win matches for your team,” he said.
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Asked how hopeful he was of making it to the Indian team for the upcoming South Africa tour going by his present form, Gambhir said: “It’s you (media) who say I am out of form if I don’t score run in one innings.
“But I don’t judge myself on every innings. I judge myself on how relaxed I am at the wicket and how much I am enjoying myself there,” he said.
Gambhir also refrained from talking about any individual players of the current Indian team.
“I never like talking about individuals because cricket is a team sport. I don’t believe in commenting about individuals,” he said.
The southpaw brushed aside the chances of a possible drop down the order, just like his former India and Delhi teammate Virender Sehwag, to regain his lost touch.
“I am an opening batsman and I believe in opening the batting. I think it is the toughest job to open the innings on hostile foreign wickets. I don’t believe in going down (the order),” he said.