New Delhi: Veteran Indian batsman Gautam Gambhir on Tuesday earned a well-deserved recall to the Test team.
An injury to KL Rahul opened the doors for the Delhi batsman, who was initially ignored by the selectors for the ongoing New Zealand series.
Young spinner Jayant Yadav too was named as Ishant Sharma's replacement, but the headlines were clearly dominated by Gambhir.
The left-hander's exclusion from the 15-man squad had led to a huge debate in India's cricketing circles.
Many were of the view that an in-form Gambhir was better equipped for the Test side than the struggling duo of Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan.
Hence the news of the 34-year-old's Test comeback after two years brought tremendous delight to the pro-Gambhir camp.
Not just fans but cricketers, especially from Kolkata Knight Riders franchise, were elated with Gauti's recall.
The list of Gambhir's well-wishers also included Bollywood superstar and KKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan.
Taking to social micro-blogging site Twitter, King Khan wished his captain all the best for the Eden Garden Test, which happens to be their IPL home ground.
@GautamGambhir love to you my man. All the best.
— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) September 27, 2016
Tks @iamsrk bhai. Your wishes are so, so dear to me. More power to u. Loads of love to children especially d rock star AbRam.
— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) September 28, 2016
Test comeback: Gautam Gambhir thanks BCCI for another opportunity, fans for all the prayers
While Gambhir's return is a testimony to his perseverance and hard work, KKR and SRK too deserve some part of the credit.
Despite not being part of the Indian set up, KKR retained Gambhir as captain for the last two years.
Captains of all IPL franchises represent their national teams and play international cricket on a regular basis.
KKR and its owners have stood firmly behind Gambhir during his tough times, and for that they too need to be lauded.
