NEW DELHI: Gautam Gambhir looks to have his post retirement plans in place with politics being his next port of call.
The former Indian opening batsman is likely to seek a ticket from the national ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to contest the next Lok Sabha elections from the city itself in 2019, Dainik Jagaran reports.
It is likely to be a win-win situation as the 36-year-old Gambhir hasn’t played for India in any format since late 2016 and earlier this year, his IPL career also came to a halt with a flop show at Delhi Daredevils. Off the field, Gambhir is known for voicing his opinions not just on cricketing but national issues as well and contributing to civilians and soldiers alike through financial and emotional support.
It is this image that the BJP may be keen to make the most of in order to repeat the unprecedented sweep of all 7 Lok Sabha seats contested from out of the National Capital Region in the 2014 general elections that brought the Narendra Modi government to power.
Should Gambhir succeed in winning the ticket, he would join the likes of other Indian cricketers such as Kirti Azad, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Mohammad Azharuddin, Mohammad Kaif and Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi in joining politics following the end of their cricketing careers.
