Former India batsman VVS Laxman on Thursday praised his former teammate Gautam Gambhir, saying that the left-handed opener was always redy to take on new challenges on the cricket field. Laxman also shared a photo of Gambhir as part of his initiative of paying tribute to teammates who played a role in making him a better player.


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"Massively inquisitive and totally obsessed with the game, @GautamGambhir never shied away from a challenge on a cricket field. Whether it was taking on express pace bowlers on spicy tracks overseas or standing up for a wronged teammate, he knew not what it was to back down," Laxman tweeted.



Gambhir represented India in 58 Test matches scoring 4154 runs with an average of 41.96. He appeared in 147 ODI matches and scored 5238 runs with an average of 39.68. The southpaw played an important role in helping India win the T20 World Cup in 2007 and 50-over World Cup 2011.


In T20 World Cup final against Pakistan, Gambhir scored 75 runs and this innings allowed the Men In Blue to post an above-par score on the tricky Johannesburg wicket. In 2011 50-over World Cup, Gambhir again shone with the ball and played a valuable innings of 97 runs from 122 balls.


Gambhir also proved his worth in Indian Premier League (IPL) as he led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the title win in 2012 and 2014. The left-handed batsman was also the only Indian and one of four international cricketers to have scored hundreds in five consecutive Test matches.