During the 2023 Legends League Cricket opener, Shahid Afridi, the captain of Asia Lions, approached Gautam Gambhir to check on him after the India Maharajas captain was struck on his helmet by a top edge.
Abdul Razzaq bowled a delivery that Gautam Gambhir attempted to scoop in the 12th over of Maharajas’ innings. However, Gambhir only managed to top-edge the ball onto his helmet grille, causing it to crash. Despite this, Gambhir was able to exchange ends with his batting partner, while Razzaq appealed, possibly for a leg-before decision.
Upon witnessing Gambhir’s helmet being hit, Afridi approached him and promptly inquired about his well-being. Gambhir saluted Afridi in gratitude before the two parted ways. This gesture caught the attention of social media and sparked discussion.
Afridi and Gambhir have a history of being fierce competitors on the field, with several incidents of animosity between them. The earliest instance occurred in 2007 when they had an unsightly altercation mid-pitch, which has caused tension between them ever since.
In his autobiography, Afridi caused controversy by stating that Gambhir had “an attitude problem” and “no personality.” In 2019, Gambhir responded by tweeting a crude remark in which he claimed he would take Afridi to a psychiatrist. Since then, the two have had several Twitter arguments. However, the recent incident on the cricket field appears to indicate that their relationship has improved.